Hidden Strength
by srdaire
Summary: Non/Disney villains, led by the mysterious Evil One, are trying to take over the magical world Incantationen where every fictional character lives. It's up to one girl to defeat them. Will she be able to stop their evil plot, or will she fall under the influence of the Evil One? I do not own anything, except the character Aralyne.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_"Don't you know that all of those stories are lies?" he hissed into my ear, making my heart pound against my ribcage. A lump grew in my throat as I blinked back the tears that were threatening to overflow from my eyes. "There's no such thing as Happily Ever After…."_

* * *

Okay, backtrack. I bet you're wonder what's going on, right? Well, it's a long story. We'll start off with introductions, shall we? My name is Aralyne Loreley Chanson. I was once a normal teenager living a normal life until I got sucked into the "wonderful" world of Disney. Yeah, I know, living in Disney's stories would be a dream come true to any child (or child at heart), but trust me, it's not all fun and games. Yes, there are heroes, and princesses, but there are also the villains (which everyone seems to forget for some reason). I would say that's how this story starts – with the villains. And there is one in particular that ruined my whole life. The name alone gives me the shudders and I'm terrified to even think it, let alone, speak it. But, don't worry; you'll know who it is eventually. Now on to the story!

* * *

The Evil One sat upon his throne in a stone castle that was slowly falling to pieces. His followers were scattered among the dark room, and he could make out the shapes of their shadows knowing who was who. They, on the other hand, could not make out his form, for he wore a cloak to hide his identity. Two short demons – a skinny green one, and a fat purple one – cut through the crowd dragging along a tiny pig with bright blue eyes struggling and squealing to be set free, and a tub of water.

"Pain," said the purple demon holding down the pig.

"And Panic," added the green demon as they stopped before the Evil One.

"Reporting for duty," the two demons said simultaneously with a salute.

"Show me my future," the Evil One demanded in a cold voice that made everyone in the room shiver in fright.

"R-right, your most evilness," Panic stammered nervously. He began swirling his finger in the water grabbing the pig's attention. The pig watched entranced before placing the tip of her snout onto the water.

_"Hen Wen, from you I do beseech..._

_Knowledge that lies beyond my reach..._

_Troubled thoughts weigh on your heart..._

_Pray you now those thoughts impart..."_

Images began to appear in the water, and the crowd murmured in fascination. It showed the Evil One taking over the world with his followers, causing pain and destruction to any who opposed him, but then the images were replaced with something else. It was a teenage girl with long curly dark brown hair, golden brown eyes, and freckles scattered over her moon pale face. The girl was brandishing a sword and light seemed to emanate from her. She swung the blade over the Evil One, and all darkness disintegrated.

_"What?!"_ the Evil One roared, scarlet eyes flashing from underneath the hood of his cloak. His outburst startled Hen Wen and she squealed in fright, running from the Evil One. Pain and Panic tried to hide behind each other as the crowd backed up wary of what was to happen next. "A little girl is to defeat me?" the Evil One hissed. He was quiet for a moment as his eyes narrowed. "Hmm…. Perhaps not. If I am able to control her, then she wouldn't be in the way of my victory…. Someone, go out and fetch her. _You_," he pointed to a thin dark skinned man with violet eyes, wore a top hat, and held a cane, "Facilier, bring her to me…."

"Of course," said Facilier with a tip of his hat. He then turned and strolled out of the throne room in search of this mysterious girl.

* * *

It was late at night by the time I got home from work. Like every other sophomore in college, I had a part time job at Wal-Mart, which, _thankfully_, is right down the street from my apartment, so that I didn't have to waste gas driving. I lived alone in Silver City, New Mexico while I went to school; my family lived in Arizona. After getting home, I changed out of my work clothes and into my pink and white _Happy Feet Two_ pajamas. As I pulled my long, dark brown, curly hair into a bun, I shuffled into the kitchen to make myself something to eat. Upon opening the fridge, I was disappointed to see a gallon of milk that was half empty and a bottle of Gatorade.

"Great," I muttered slamming the door shut, "I should have bought food while I was at work."

Once I had slipped on my shoes, my favorite white sweater, and grabbed ten dollars from my wallet, I left the apartment, and walked all the way back to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately for me, the apartments are right beside Memory Lane Cemetery, which happen to be way super creepy at night. As I quickly passed by the cemetery, I could just imagine ghosts and zombies popping out of the graves heading right for me. With a shudder, I ran through the knee-high grass and swerved around a few bushes and trees scattered around the area before finally arriving in the parking lot of the mini strip mall. Now in the safety of street lights, I hiked up hill until I was right across the street from Wal-Mart.

* * *

Now away from the Evil One, Facilier was able to breathe normally. Using his black magic, he asked, "Where can I find the girl?" and conjured a circular image in the air. It showed the girl leaving a building with a white plastic bag clutched in her hand, and she began walking alone into the night.

"She's not from Incantationen," he mused waving his hand and making the image disappear, "No matter…." Facilier pulled a handful of sparkly purple dust out of the pocket of his vest, and threw it on the ground. There was an explosion, and the air filled with violet smoke. When it had cleared away, Facilier was gone.

* * *

As I left the strip mall's parking lot and headed back to the apartments, I was soon engulfed by the darkness of the surrounding trees, and all sound was extinguished except for the crunch of my feet on the dirt path. My eyes shot a brief glance over at the cemetery up ahead, and I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. The farther away I got from the safe lights of the strip mall, the more uneasy I became. To be honest, I've always been afraid of the dark, and I regret not bringing my flashlight, thinking I'd be able to see with the light of the full moon instead. I hugged myself as my insides began to squirm. I was pretty sure any stray animals could hear how loud my heart was beating.

"I'll be fine. I'm almost home," I said out loud trying to keep myself from breaking down into hysterics. At that moment, a cold shiver ran down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. _There was something out there watching me!_

"W-Who's there?" I stammered coming to a halt and looking around, but I didn't see anything unusual. A twig snapped several feet to my right, and my vision was suddenly obscured by dark shadows. I felt my mouth open to let out a piercing scream.

Even though there wasn't anything physically touching me, I felt something holding my arms to my sides and something clamping my mouth shut so that I would quit screaming. In my struggle to break free from my invisible captors, I dropped my bag of groceries. I looked up to see a skinny dark man step out from behind a tree and he chuckled. _Oh, crap! Am I going to be raped?_ I feared, my eyes widening.

"Enchantée," he said removing his top hat to reveal dark wavy hair, "A tip of the hat from Dr. Facilier." _Well, at least I've got a name_. He eyed me for a moment, placing the hat back onto his head, "So you're the one that is to defeat the Evil One. A bit small aren't you?"

My fear evaporated to be replaced with anger. _Small?!_ Yes, I was _short_ but not _small!_ I glared at him and felt a growl rumble in my throat.

Facilier shrugged then reached into his vest and threw something onto the ground. With an explosion, a thick cloud of purple smoke engulfed us, and I choked on the foul stench it emitted. _Gag!_ It smelled like brimstone mixed with rotten egg! When the smoke cleared, we were no longer on the path to my apartment. In fact, I didn't even know where we were. It was possible we were still in New Mexico since we were in some sort of wood or forest, but I couldn't be sure. He began walking through the forest and said, "Bring her." _Who was he talking to?_ I was dragged into a patch of moonlight filtering through the leaves of the trees and saw my shadow being held captive by demonic looking shadows. Once again, I tried to scream, but it came out as a squealed hum. I struggled to get free, but it was pretty much useless.

"Let that poor girl go!" a male voice shouted out in a thick Cajun accent, "Don't make me light my butt!" I looked around to see who my rescuer was, but saw only a firefly. The firefly flew to the demonic shadows and smacked into each one. The shadows evaporated with a cry of pain, and I was suddenly released from my bondage. A figure arrived brandishing a sword and began to attack Facilier. Dr. Facilier fought back using his cane to block his opponent's blows. I watched the brawl in silent fascination, feeling like an idiot with my mouth hanging open. Eventually, Facilier gave up, turned and ran deep into the forest. His attacker didn't even bother going after him.

"Are you alright?" my rescuer asked stepping into the moonlight and I couldn't help but gape even more. It was a Chinese woman with shoulder-length black hair and she wore a pale gray outfit that looked like what a karate student would wear. She slipped the sword into a scabbard attached to the belt around her waist.

"Um, yes. I'm fine," I managed to say, "Thanks for your help."

"Cher, you can come out now, the coast is clear," the Cajun voice said, and again, I looked around for the source, but didn't see any other living creature besides the firefly.

That's when I saw a girl around twelve years old step out from behind a tree. She had long blonde hair that fell down to her bottom, and light blue eyes. She wore a black, pink, and white dress and a black band on her head.

"Oh, good," the blonde girl said brushing dust off her pink skirt, before heading our way, "I thought he would _never_ leave." She held her hand out to me, "Hello, I'm Princess Eilonwy."

"Hello," I said shaking her hand. _Eilonwy? Why does that name ring a bell?_

"And I'm Mulan," said the Chinese woman with a smile. My eyes widened. Now _that_ name I knew!

"And this _adorable_ little creature is Ray," Eilonwy gushed gesturing to the firefly. I got a closer look at the bug to see him waving at me.

"Hey there, Cher," said Ray, "What's your name?" _A talking insect?!_ I had to refrain from screaming again.

"I'm Aralyne," I replied shakily, "Aralyne Lorely Chanson. Can any of you tell me where I am? I would really like to go home."

"You're in the Dark Forest," Mulan said as if I should know where that is. She must have seen my confused look because she tilted her head to the side and scrutinized me. "You're not from around here are you?"

I shook my head and suddenly noticed Eilonwy trying to hide a snicker. "What?" I asked her.

"What are you wearing?" she inquired eyeing my clothes. I glanced down at my pj's; the top was pink with Erik from _Happy Feet Two_ dancing, and my pants were white with the same picture. My sneakers were black with pink laces, and my white sweater hung open from my shoulders. I flushed in embarrassment feeling absolutely ridiculous in my penguin pajamas.

"Eilonwy," Mulan said in a warning tone, wiping the smirk off the child's face. Mulan once more smiled at me. "Come on, we'll take you home." She, Eilonwy, and Ray began making their way through the forest, and I followed closely behind.

* * *

Dr. Facilier returned to the Evil One's castle and nervously entered the throne room.

"Well?" the Evil One demanded, when he saw Facilier had come back alone, "Where is she?"

Facilier gave a nervous chuckle, and removed his top hat spinning it around in his fingers. "About that, heheh, I was attacked and, uh, she… escaped."

"You let her _escape?!_" the Evil One hissed, his scarlet eyes narrowing in anger. The crowd in the throne room shifted uneasily.

"It wasn't my fault!" Dr. Facilier cried beginning to tremble.

"Evil One," a deep rumbling voice interrupted and a large Bengal Tiger stalked forward, giving Facilier the chance to escape into the crowd, "Allow me to fetch the girl."

"And me," another voice hissed. A python hanging from the chandelier lowered himself to the floor and slithered up beside the tiger.

"Very well. Go on," agreed the Evil One with a wave of his decrepit looking hand.

The python and tiger left the castle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_(Song in this chapter is "Trust in Me" from the movie "The Jungle Book".)_

"Do you even know where she isss?" the python hissed as he and the tiger trekked through the forest.

"Well, what do you think I'm doing, you imbecile?" the tiger growled in irritation, "I'm tracking her down, Kaa." He suddenly froze, his nose poised up in the air. "Wait," he said, "I've got a scent." The tiger then disappeared into the shadows, leaving Kaa alone.

"Shere Khan," Kaa hissed, but there was no reply from the giant feline. "What a fine predicament," he muttered curling up in himself.

"Kaa!" cried out a voice behind the python. He turned around to see yet another python heading his way, but this new comer wore a white-feathered red cap and matching red cape. Kaa rolled his eyes in aggravation.

"What are you doing here, little brother?" Kaa inquired.

"I thought I told you to ssstart calling me Sssir Hisss," the new python said stopping before his brother. Ever since he started working for Prince John, Kaa's younger brother had become stuck up. "I wanted to help find the girl, too." He looked around and saw what was wrong with the scene. "Where'sss Shere Khan?"

"He sssaid he found a ssscent, ssso he must have found the girl," Kaa replied, "If he needsss usss he will call." The two pythons slithered up a tree to patiently wait for the tiger's return.

* * *

I watched Mulan and Eilonwy hiking before me, feeling uneasy. Yes, they had saved me from Dr. Facilier and his demonic shadows, but could I really trust them? As far as I knew, they were complete strangers and they could have even worse intentions than Facilier. Besides, these girls were travelling with a _talking bug_ for crying out loud! _So_ not normal! If that wasn't demonic in some way, then I didn't know what was. I couldn't stay here, and I certainly couldn't trust three strangers I just met! When I had made sure they were far enough ahead of me, I ran off into the forest as fast as I could trying to put as much distance between us as possible.

"Aralyne, wait!" I heard Mulan call out to me, but I ignored her, and continued on. Branches kept catching at my clothes and hair, and I could feel my curls escape their bun.

Once I was sure I had lost them, I slowed to a walk. "Now to find my way home," I muttered, brushing aside what I thought to be a vine hanging from the tree tops. _Wait, there aren't any vines in the woods, and why does it feel smooth like… scales?_

"Sssay now, what have we here?" a voice said. Then out of the branches came a snake's head and I stumbled backwards with a shriek. "It'sss a little girl. Jussst the one I wasss looking for," the snake hissed. I backed up even more and slammed into something. Swiveling around, I found myself staring at yet another python, this one wearing clothes.

"Excussse me," said the one wearing clothes, "Might we be of ssssome asssissstanccce?" He began to wrap his coils around my legs, while the other python wrapped his around my torso.

"Please, leave me alone," I begged beginning to cry, "I just want to go home."

Then both serpents said at the exact same time, "Are you lossst, little one? We can help you, you jussst have to trussst usss." Their eyes began to change color: yellow, blue, and green, in a hypnotic pattern, and I couldn't look away.

The python without clothing began to sing:

_"Trussst in me, jussst in me_

_Shut your eyesss and trussst in me_

_You can sssleep sssafe and sssound_

_Knowing I am around"_

The dressed snake sang the next part:

_"Ssslip into sssilent ssslumber_

_Sssail on a sssilver missst_

_Ssslowly and sssurely your sssensssesss_

_Will ccceassse to resssissst"_

The two reptiles sang the last part together:

_"Trussst in me, jussst in me_

_Shut your eyesss and trussst in me…."_

My mind went blank and I knew no more….

* * *

Shere Khan was annoyed. He had lost the scent and stalked back to Kaa. As he approached his destination, he heard two hypnotic voices singing:

_"Trussst in me, jussst in me_

_Shut your eyesss and trussst in me…."_

The Bengal tiger broke through the forest vegetation to see Kaa and Sir Hiss, their coils wrapped around a girl –_the_ girl. And she had fallen under their hypnotic influence.

"Excellent job, boys," Shere Khan said sitting on his haunches and applauding them, "How ever did you find her?"

"She found usss," Kaa hissed, "Practically walked into our coilsss."

* * *

Mulan, Eilonwy, and Ray had gone after Aralyne when she had run off.

"Aralyne!" Mulan shouted out.

"Cher!" cried Ray.

Eilonwy called out, "Aralyne? Aralyne, where are you?"

Ray flew off ahead of the girls, and came back shortly afterwards looking panicked. "Shere Khan, Kaa, and Hiss! They got hold of Aralyne!" he cried.

"Oh, no," Eilonwy gasped clasping a hand over her mouth.

Mulan unsheathed her sword, and ran through the forest, Ray and Eilonwy right behind her. They burst through the trees and found the animals with Aralyne.

"Release her," Mulan ordered the snakes pointing the tip of her sword at them.

"Well what have we here," said Shere Khan eyeing the girls.

"We're here for Aralyne," said Eilonwy glaring at the tiger, "Now let her go, or –"

Shere Khan chuckled. "Man cubs are so amusing. What can you possibly do to make us release – Aralyne, you said?"

"Do it, or I'll run you through," Mulan warned, her sword still aimed on the serpents, but had her gaze on the giant cat.

Shere Khan sneered and batted the sword out of her grasp with one of his giant paws. "Give me the girl," he growled at Kaa and Sir Hiss, "I'll take her to the Evil One. You two can stay… and have a little snack." Kaa and Sir Hiss unwrapped themselves from Aralyne's body and faced the other girls, smacking their jaws hungrily. The Bengal tiger took Aralyne's jacket into his mouth and dragged her away.

The two snakes circled Mulan and Eilonwy, swaying their heads back and forth.

"What a deliccciousss sssnack," said Sir Hiss flicking his tongue out at the girls. Eilonwy and Mulan stood back to back keeping a wary eye out on the snakes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Ray, his light turning red in anger, "You threatenin' my girls?" He flew forward and began punching Kaa in the face. "Got you! I will make some shoes out of you!" Becoming irritated, Kaa grabbed Ray with the tip of his tail and flung him aside. The firefly soared through the air and slammed into a rock. "I think I gone chipped my favorite tooth," he muttered before sliding down to the ground unconscious.

"_Ray!_" the girls shouted out when he didn't get back up.

"Bothersssome insssect," Kaa hissed turning his attention back to the girls.

"Mulan," said Eilonwy, her eyes wide as she watched the snakes creep closer, "What do we do now?"

Kaa and Sir Hiss wrapped the girls in their coils. "_Die!_" they said at the same time, their jaws open wide.

Mulan and Eilonwy were defenseless as they watched the serpents come ever closer. They were able to see down the snake's throats; they looked like dark, endless, damp tunnels.

"_Mulan!_" Eilonwy screamed shutting her eyes and turning her head so she wouldn't see her fate.

The older woman was wiggling to break free from the snakes, but they were too strong. _Now I wish I wasn't in charge! _she thought trying not to break down in front of the twelve-year-old.

There was a mighty roar that could be heard ringing throughout the woods, and a beastly creature burst through the trees. He had thick brown fur, had horns on top of his head, and wore black pants with a red cape. He grabbed the snakes, and yanked them away from the girls, tossing the serpents aside. The Beast then hovered protectively over Mulan and Eilonwy.

"If I ever see you near these girls again, I'll kill you," the Beast warned the snakes, his blue eyes flashing in anger.

Mulan retrieved her sword. "You won't have to worry about it," she said swinging the weapon and slicing Kaa in half. The two ends of the snake wriggled for a moment before coming still forever. Sir Hiss flicked his tongue out at them and slithered away into the forest.

"Oh, Ray," Eilonwy cried running to the firefly and picking him up in the palm of her hands. She gently stroked his head until he woke up.

"Hey there, Cher," he said weakly blinking up at her, "How come you –"

"It was Adam, Ray, he saved us. How are you feeling?" Eilonwy asked with concern.

"I'm alright," he said, "Just a little sore, that's all."

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, COMING OUT HERE ALONE?!" Adam, the beast roared at Mulan sending her hair flying back.

With a frown, she ignored his question and said, "A girl was just kidnapped by Shere Khan. We tried to save her, but as you can see, the pythons proved too much for us."

"You mean too much for _you_," Adam growled, "Where did he take her?"

"They went in that direction," said Eilonwy pointing him on the right path, Ray still in the palm of her other hand.

Adam ran off, and the girls quickly ran after him, but soon lost sight of him.

"Oh, that Beast!" Mulan huffed when she and Eilonwy had come to a halt, "He's so infuriating!" No sooner had she finished saying that, when Adam returned looking annoyed.

"I couldn't find Shere Khan, or any girl," he said, "They're gone."

* * *

Shere Khan had arrived at the Evil One's castle with Aralyne still in his clutches. He entered the throne room, but found it completely deserted. The Evil One was not to be found, and his followers had left as well. Not wanting to search the entire castle for the Evil One, Shere Khan dragged Aralyne down into the dungeons. He tossed her into a cell with a young man chained to the wall. Aralyne just sat on the floor, still under the snakes' hypnotic spell.

With an evil rumbling laugh, the Bengal tiger said, "Catching you was a lot easier than I thought. I'll be back to fetch you when the Evil One calls." He then stalked out of the dungeon, leaving Aralyne with the man.

* * *

I blinked several times feeling as if I had just woken up from a deep sleep. My head felt fuzzy and I groaned, shutting my eyes and running my fingers through my dark brown curls. When I opened my eyes again, I felt a fresh wave of panic wash over me. _Where was I?!_ I was now surrounded by stone walls, and I was facing a small stairway that led up to a closed wooden door.

"You're finally awake," a male voice behind me said. With a startled jump, I spun around on my butt to see a man shackled to a wall. He was really cute with messy black hair and strong middle-eastern features. He was barefoot but wore baggy white pants, a purple vest and a small red hat. I felt my face redden as I stared at his exposed chest.

"W-Who are you?" I stammered forcing myself to look at his face, "and where am I?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Hi, my name's Aladdin. Don't you know where you are?" Aladdin asked me. I shook my head. "I suppose you wouldn't. You were under some sort of hypnotic spell when Shere Khan brought you in. We're in the dungeons of some old castle that's falling apart."

_Shere Khan? Hypnotic spell? Castle? Where the hell am I?_ "Okay," I said slowly "I don't remember much, just that I was in the woods and ran into two talking pythons." Talking snakes? Why didn't I realize that sooner? Does every animal here talk? "Why are you here? I asked him eyeing his wrists above his head that were chained to the wall.

"I'm a thief," he said with a slight shrug, "I steal what I need to survive. Unfortunately, I got caught this time and was brought here. In hindsight, I shouldn't have tried to steal food from the Huns."

"Are they the ones who own this… castle?" I inquired.

"No. I don't know who owns it, but they kept mentioning some Evil One."

Evil One. I remembered Dr. Facilier mentioning that name. What was it he said? "I was told," I began remembering Facilier's words, "I was to defeat this Evil One, which, honestly, is absolutely ridiculous. I've never gotten in any type of fight in my entire life! Well, unless you count the wrestling matches with my little brother – then again, I spent my time studying his fighting style, and I learned all of his moves, so I know exactly what he's going to do and –" Aladdin was laughing. I blinked at him. "What's so funny?"

"You're babbling," he explained. I flushed feeling like a big-mouthed idiot.

"I'm sorry," I muttered lowering my head slightly so that my curls blocked my red face.

"Don't be. I think it's cute." I felt myself blush even more. "What's your name?"

"Aralyne," I replied brushing my hair back behind my ear when I was no longer blushing.

"Well, Aralyne, would you be so kind as to do me a favor, and then we can talk some more," he said.

"W-What kind of favor?" I said becoming wary. (Yeah, I know. I have trust issues.)

"Unchain me," he said, "reach into my vest; there's a pocket inside. You'll find a pin. Use it to pick the lock."

I bit my lip and studied him. He didn't seem like he would hurt me.

"It's on my right side," he said when I had crawled to his side. My fingers accidentally brushed up against his bare chest as I pulled the vest open, and my face suddenly felt hot again. After reaching into the pocket, I pulled out the pin, and looked up directly into his warm brown eyes. We were so close that our breaths mingled. My heart was pounding loudly against my chest, and I was afraid he would hear it. I wish I could say I quickly unlocked his shackles, but because I had no prior experience picking locks, it took a good fifteen minutes.

"Thanks," he said rubbing his writs when I had pulled away hugging my knees.

"You know," I said staring at him, "I really don't know why _I'm_ the one that has to defeat the Evil One. I don't even know who he is. I was kidnapped by some creep by Dr. Facilier while I was walking home, and he took me to the woods. I was saved by a firefly and two girls –"

"Girls?" Aladdin repeated his ears perking in interest. "What girls? One of them wasn't named Aurora, I hope."

I was startled by his interruption, and noticed the way he said the name Aurora. Great. Just my luck that a cute, sweet guy like Aladdin would have a girlfriend. "No," I replied shaking my head, "Their names were Mulan and Eilonwy."

"Lonnie," he muttered his brow furrowed as he raked his fingers through his shaggy black hair. "What happened to them?"

"Well… I ran away and that's when I met up with the snakes. I don't remember anything after that other than finding myself in here," I said.

"I hope they're okay," he said, "Aurora would be super upset if anything happened to her little sister…."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It was morning by the time Adam, Ray, Eilonwy, and Mulan arrived home to their village, Nesidy. Two girls with long blonde hair ran towards them. The oldest wore a gray and black dress and a black headband, and she had violet eyes. The youngest was just a child wearing a pink dress and the same colored band in her head, but had blue eyes.

"Eilonwy!" the oldest shouted out running to the group.

"Lonnie!" said the child. The two girls embraced Eilonwy and she hugged her older and younger sisters.

"Aurora, Irenie," said Eilonwy, "You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine."

"Good, because I'm going to kill you," said Aurora shaking her little sister by the shoulders. "Why would you run off without telling anyone?"

"It's not like I was alone. Mulan and Ray were with me. Besides, I was out looking for Aladdin. Isn't that what _you_ want? For someone to find him? He's been missing for over a day already!" By that time, the entire village had come out to see what the commotion was about.

Aurora blushed and pulled away from Eilonwy replying, "Yes, I want him found, but that doesn't mean _you_ had to do it."

"Were you able to find him, Lonnie?" Irenie asked gazing up at her sister.

"No, but we did find a girl," Mulan said, catching everyone's attention. They began to mutter amongst themselves when the leader of the village, an elderly short Chinese man named Lao Shi (but everyone called him "Grandpa") entered the center of the congregation.

"A girl?" Grandpa said, "But no one has gone missing lately except for Aladdin."

"She said she was not from around here," Mulan explained, "From what we could tell Dr. Facilier had kidnapped her, but we don't know where he was headed. We rescued her, and she ran off for some reason. When we finally found her, she had been caught by Kaa, Shere Khan, and Sir Hiss." There was a collection of gasps. "Shere Khan took her away to someone called the Evil One, and left us to deal with the pythons."

"You mean left _me_ to deal with them," Adam snarled, "You and Eilonwy were trapped and would have died if I hadn't shown up." Aurora and Irenie gasped hugging their sister once more.

"We didn't _ask_ for your help, Adam!" Mulan snapped glaring at him.

"Enough!" Grandpa said, "You two are quarrelling like children." Mulan and Adam turned their backs on each other and faced Grandpa. "We need to rescue this girl, whoever she may be. I'm going to need some volunteers."

Just about everyone began talking at once wanting to volunteer for the job. Grandpa gazed about the crowd for a moment before nodding. It became silent once more.

"I have made my decision on who is to be on the rescue mission. Merida." A teenager with wild red curls and wearing a green dress stepped forward holding a bow and had a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. "Hercules." A young man, no older than eighteen wearing a brown tunic with a blue cape, and had bulging muscles took Merida's side. "Simba." A golden lion with a red mane joined the group. "Mrs. Incredible." A woman with short brown hair was dressed in a red and black suit wearing a black mask over her eyes came forward in the most unusual way. Her body was like elastic and she stretched over to join the rescue mission. "Mulan." She gave the Beast a superior look causing him to scowl. "And Adam."

"What?!" Mulan cried in indignation as Adam smirked at her.

"I expect all six of you to work _together_," said Grandpa looking pointedly at Mulan and Adam, "We need that girl to be safe from harm, and it can't happen if you two are always squabbling. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Grandpa," they said simultaneously lowering their heads in shame.

"Don't worry, Grandpa, we'll keep them in check," said Mrs. Incredible.

"Good. Now off you go." Mulan, Merida, Mrs. Incredible, Hercules, Adam, and Simba left the village at a run.

"Grandpa," said Aurora once the rescue team had gone, "What of Aladdin? Should we send someone to go search for him?" Eilonwy smiled and began to raise her hand, but after a glare from Aurora, her grin vanished and she lowered her hand again.

"No," he replied, "With any luck, they'll find Aladdin as well."

* * *

Sir Hiss had returned to the Evil One's castle wanting revenge. Especially on that Mulan. She had killed his brother, after all.

"Ah, there you are, Sir Hiss," said Shere Khan when he had spotted the python, "Where is Kaa? Did he overindulge himself on one of those silly girls?"

"No," said Sir Hiss bitterly, "He's dead, and I'll get my coilsss on that Asian brat if it'sss the lassst thing I do!"

"So, Kaa is dead," said a cold voice. Both animals turned to see the Evil One hiding beneath his cloak and drifting their way. "What a shame. Do not worry, Sir Hiss, you shall have your revenge in due time…. And the girl? You _did_ bring her, didn't you, Shere Khan?"

"Of course," said the Bengal tiger with a bow of his head, "I could not locate you earlier, Evil One, so I placed her in the dungeon until you were able to see her."

"Good," replied the Evil One with a single nod, "Bring her to me now."

Shere Khan left to fetch the girl.

* * *

The door to the dungeon opened, and Aladdin and I turned to see a giant tiger enter the room. I felt my breath catch in my throat for a moment before I let out a scream and scrambled over to Aladdin's side. He had jumped to his feet facing the feline.

"What do you want, Shere Khan?" Aladdin demanded. _Shere Khan? The one Aladdin says had brought me here in the first place?_ I remembered reading the _Jungle Book_ by Rudyard Kipling last year, and vaguely remember the tiger's name being Shere Khan. It couldn't possibly be the same cat. It had to be a coincidence.

"I'm here for the girl," said Shere Khan, making me choke back another shriek. _Another talking animal?!_

"I don't think so," said Aladdin in a cold voice, startling me with his chivalry, "You'd have to go through me first if you want her."

"I have no time for fun and games," said Shere Khan in a bored tone. He lifted up one of his giant paws. "I'll give you until the count of three to hand her over. One." Claws extended from his raised limb and I shivered at the thought of how sharp they must be. "Two." Shere Khan pulled his paw back ready to strike. "Thr – "

"WAIT!" I cried running out from behind Aladdin.

"Aralyne, what are you doing?" Aladdin asked grabbing my arm and trying to pull me back behind him.

"I'm saving your life," I muttered to him, "I'm not going to let you get hurt or die because of me." Then I said to Shere Khan, "I'll go with you."

The tiger retracted his claws and lowered his paw. "Good girl. Now come along."

I slipped out of Aladdin's grasp and followed the cat up the stairs and out of the dungeon. When Shere Khan had shut the door behind us, I felt what little courage I had slip away, and the realization hit me full blast_. I just agreed to go with a deadly tiger and meet the Evil One! I may possibly die, and no one would know!_ I suddenly froze and Shere Khan growled at me.

"Move," he said nudging me in the back with his head. He ended up shoving me all the way into some sort of throne room where a tall cloaked figure sat. One look at him and I felt a chill run up my spine. With a shiver, I zipped up my sweater and hugged myself, not wanting to get any closer. He gazed at me with bright red eyes that shone from underneath his cloak and I could feel my breath come out in short quick gasps.

"What is your name little girl?" he drawled out in an icy voice. I gave another involuntary shiver, but remained quiet.

"The Evil One asked you a question," growled Shere Khan batting me in the back with his paw with such force I fell forward and landed on my hands and knees.

"Her name is Aralyne," I heard a familiar voice hiss. The snake with clothing slithered up beside me, and I pulled away from him with a gasp.

"Aralyne," said the Evil One, but I refused to look at him or answer him. "I'm speaking to you, Aralyne." When I had refused to acknowledge him, he began to shout. "ARALYNE!" I suddenly heard a crash of thunder _inside_ the castle, and eerie green lights appeared, wrapping around me. Too frightened to move or even scream this time, I found myself lifted into the air by the lights and brought over to the Evil One. I whimpered as I stared into his bright scarlet eyes. "Aralyne," he said, "you're a strong girl, and I know what you are capable of. I want you to join my side in this battle between good and evil…."

* * *

Simba had used his sense of smell to track down Aralyne and the rescue team soon arrived at the Evil One's castle. They hid behind trees out of sight of any prying eyes from the building.

"How do we get inside?" Merida inquired in her thick Scottish accent as she observed the castle.

"Well, it's falling apart isn't it?" snapped Adam, "We'll just break down a wall and get in." Merida stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's not exactly stealthy," Hercules pointed out.

"Herc's right," said Mulan, "We need to sneak our way in. If we're seen, someone will sound the alarm and Aralyne would be doomed."

"Aralyne? Is that the girl's name?" Mrs. Incredible inquired, "What does she look like so we know who she is?"

"She looks like a child," Mulan explained, "Probably not any older than sixteen years. She's wearing pink and white clothing. Her hair is a dark brown, and she's pretty pale with freckles."

"Okay," said Simba, "This is what we'll do: Mrs. Incredible, you sneak in through one of the cracks in the wall and give us a signal that the coast is clear. Adam, Hercules, and I will enter through the door first in case we run into any unexpected trouble. Mulan and Merida will bring up the rear and will be the ones in charge of setting Aralyne free. Any questions?" They shook their heads and agreed to the lion's plan. "Good, now go!"

Mrs. Incredible rolled up into a ball, and rolled up to the castle, sticking to the shadows and out of the sunlight. Once there, she flattened herself and slipped in between a crack in the wall out of sight. The rest of the group waited for several minutes before Mrs. Incredible's hand came back out and gave them the thumbs up. The three males rushed up to the door with Mulan and Merida behind them. Hercules grabbed the door knob and pulled it open, but unfortunately ripped the door right off its hinges.

"Oops," he said sheepishly.

"Nice going," Adam muttered.

"Forget it," Merida said, "Just go."

Hercules threw the door aside, and they entered the castle. Simba was in the lead, sniffing out Aralyne. They passed through the halls, avoiding trouble by Mrs. Incredible giving them the all clear signal at each turn. The rescue team kept going deeper into the castle and passed through a cellar filled with barrels. Printed on the side of these barrels was the word ale. As they cut through the cellar, they finally ran into a slight predicament.

Sir Hiss was slithering by having just left the throne room. The rescue team ducked behind a barrel of ale, but not before the python had spotted Merida's bright red hair.

"Who goes there?" Sir Hiss demanded slithering their way. He rounded the barrel to see the rescue team looking wary. The snake opened his mouth and began to shout "INTRUDERS!" But, before he could say anymore, Hercules grabbed him by the neck, and opened up a barrel of ale. "Unhand me you –" Hercules had stuffed him into the barrel and corked it back up. They could hear Sir Hiss's muffled voice say "Please, please, I don't drink!"

"That was a close one," said Mrs. Incredible as they left the cellar and followed Simba to the dungeons.

They stopped at the first door, and Simba said, "Mrs. Incredible, look to see if Aralyne is in there."

Mrs. Incredible flattened herself once again and slid her head underneath the door. She pulled it back out to say, "There isn't any girl in there, but Aladdin is."

"Aladdin?!" Mulan gasped earning a scowl from Adam.

Hercules punched the door, and the whole thing fell apart with a crash. Aladdin gazed up at them in bewilderment for a second before running up the stairs to them.

"Aladdin!" Mulan said throwing herself at him in a hug, "We found you!" She pulled back and added, "But, where's Aralyne?"

After nodding his thanks to the others, he said, "Shere Khan took her to the Evil One."

"Come on, then," said Merida with a wave of her arm, "Let's go find her."

All seven of them ran down the castle to go rescue Aralyne.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_(Song in this chapter is "Wish You Were Here" by Blackmore's Night)_

Join _his_ side?! The Evil One wanted me to fight _alongside_ him?! After he sent all of these animals and that creep Dr. Facilier to kidnap me, he expects me to work _with_ him?! I don't think so! I would have told him straight to his face "You've got to be kidding me" but I was absolutely terrified of him! All that came out of my mouth was a squeak.

The door to the throne room suddenly burst open, and we all turned to see seven new-comers in the doorway. Two of them I recognized – Mulan and Aladdin, but the others I had no clue who they were. There was some sort of beastly creature, a lion (which happens to be my favorite animal, so I was somewhat fascinated), two teenagers about my age, and a woman.

"What is this?" hissed the Evil One. The male teenager rushed forward and punched the Evil One in the face. The green light energy holding me faded away and I fell to the floor in a heap. I looked up to see the teenager continue beating the Evil One. Behind me, I was distinctly aware of Shere Khan fighting with the beast.

"Aralyne," Aladdin cried running to my side and helping me to my feet, "Are you alright?" I nodded, referring to my physical well-being. I wasn't hurt, but I knew that this event might cause some sort of psychological damage.

The two brawls must have created quite a raucous because five more characters entered the throne room. There was another lion, but this one wore a red robe and a golden crown on his head. The weirdest creature stood beside him holding some sort of futuristic looking gun; it looked like a giant shark with arms and legs. There was a woman with long black hair, her skin was pale with a hint of green, and she wore a black and green suit. A man with large red hair pointed up wore a black suit with a giant white S on it and he had a black mask over his eyes and had a black cape. The last man looked pretty normal in jeans, a shirt, vest, and what looked like a cowboy hat, but he held a gun in his hands.

"Oh no," the female teenager groaned when she saw the new comers.

The lion wearing clothes, well, I called him the Cowardly Lion. He dove behind the Evil One's chair and hid. The woman in black and green, her hands started glowing green and she leapt at us.

"Mrs. Incredible, you handle Shego," said the lion not wearing clothes. The woman in red that had entered with Mulan and Aladdin began fighting with the woman in green.

Mulan went off and fought with the man with the gun while, the teenage girl with red hair began firing arrows at the giant shark creature.

"No one ever follows the plans," the lion muttered angrily.

"Simba," Aladdin said grabbing my hand and dragging me to the lion. The giant feline turned to us. "We have to get Aralyne out of here."

"Climb on my back," said Simba, the lion. Aladdin jumped onto Simba's back, but I pulled away hesitantly. As much as I loved lions, I had already been attacked by one giant cat, and was somewhat afraid to be near another.

"Do you trust me?" said Aladdin holding his hand out to me.

"What?" I said blinking up at him.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated, looking serious.

"Yes," I replied slowly taking his hand. He pulled me up onto Simba's back, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. The lion began heading for the exit.

"Merida, Mulan, Adam, Hercules, Mrs. Incredible, fall back," Simba shouted. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the two teenagers, the woman in red, and the beast pull away from their fights, and follow us. Their opponents were right on our tail, too. With a cry of frustration, the beast, male teenager, and Mrs. Incredible turned to face them.

"Adam!" Mulan shouted seeing that they had stopped.

"Get out of here!" the beast yelled over his shoulder at us, "Take the girl! We'll handle this!" Mulan ran to his side, ready to fight, but the beast threw her back to us. "GO!" he roared. The female teenager with red hair grabbed Mulan's hand and dragged her after us.

"Merida, let me go!" Mulan demanded trying to break free of her grasp.

"No, they can handle this," Merida said, "Let's get out of here."

Simba, Aladdin, Merida, Mulan and I escaped the castle, and we headed back into the woods.

* * *

After the rescue team had gone, everyone in the village had gone back to their homes. Aurora had taken her sisters home and made sure Eilonwy had something to eat. She had insisted that Eilonwy get some sleep, but the middle sister was being stubborn and said she wouldn't rest until the rescue team came back with Aladdin.

Aurora gave Eilonwy a small smile and said, "I'm sure they'll bring back Aladdin and the girl safe and sound. Now run along, and stay out of trouble."

"Lonnie," said Irenie tugging on her sister's sleeve, "Come play with me, please?"

"Alright," Eilonwy agreed, and the two younger sisters went outside to play. It wasn't long until they spotted Aurora walking around the area around their cottage, looking sad.

"Poor Aurora," said Irenie sadly as they watched their older sister.

Aurora seemed completely oblivious to them and suddenly began to sing:

_"Wish you were here…_

_Me, oh, my country man,_

_Wish you were here…._

_I wish you were here…._

_Don't you know, the snow is getting colder_

_And I miss you like hell,_

_And I'm feeling blue…."_

"Do you think she's singing about Aladdin?" Irenie inquired in a whisper, her blue eyes wide in wonder. Eilonwy nodded and placed a finger to her lips to indicate silence.

_"Wish you were here…_

_Me, oh, my country man,_

_Wish you were here…._

_I wish you were here…._

_Don't you know, the snow is getting colder_

_And I miss you like hell,_

_And I'm feeling blue…._

_I've got feelings for you,_

_Do you still feel the same?_

_From the first time I laid my eyes on you,_

_I felt joy of living,_

_I saw heaven in your eyes…._

_In your eyes…."_

Aurora remembered when she had first met Aladdin. She had caught him stealing a loaf of bread from her home, and she allowed him to keep it. She continued to offer him food whenever she saw him, and they had soon become really close.

"_Wish you were here…_

_Me, oh, my country man,_

_Wish you were here…._

_I wish you were here…._

_Don't you know, the snow is getting colder_

_And I miss you like hell,_

_And I'm feeling blue…._

_I miss your laugh, I miss your smile,_

_I miss everything about you…._

_Every second's like a minute_

_Every minute's like a day_

_When you're far away…._

_The snow is getting colder, baby,_

_I wish you were here…._

_A battlefield of love and fear,_

_And I wish you were here…._

_I've got feelings for you,_

_From the first time I laid my eyes on you…._

_Wish you were here…_

_Me, oh, my country man,_

_Wish you were here…._

_I wish you were here…._

_Don't you know, the snow is getting colder_

_And I miss you like hell,_

_And I'm feeling blue…."_

When she had finished singing, Aurora was in tears. She turned around and was surprised to see her sisters had been watching her. They didn't say anything and remained quiet.

Irenie suddenly ran forward and embraced her oldest sister. "Oh, Aurora!" Aurora knelt down to her eye-level and hugged her back, squeezing her eyes tight as she silently sobbed. Eilonwy slowly moved towards them, and wrapped her arms around both of them.

"You know you don't always have to be strong for us," Eilonwy said quietly, "It's good for us to support you every once in a while."

"THEY'VE RETURNED!" the three sisters heard a voice yell. They pulled away from each other and turned to see a crowd forming at the edge of the village. Aurora stood up, taking each of her sisters by the hand and led them into the crowd, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face.

When they had reached the center of the crowd, they came to a halt, and Aurora felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight that greeted them. Merida was holding onto a disgruntled Mulan by the arm, as they stood next to Simba. And on the great lion's back was a girl looking lost and curious. Her arms were wrapped around …

"_ALADDIN!_" Aurora screamed.

* * *

Everyone heard Aladdin's name being shouted out. I looked in the direction the cry had originated and saw a very pretty teenager with long blonde hair run our way releasing the hands of two girls that looked like her. One I recognized as Eilonwy, the other a child that didn't look to be any older than eight years. Aladdin slid out of my reach, jumped off Simba's back and ran towards the girl. _She must be Aurora_, I mused watching them for a moment. When they met in the center of the crowd, Aladdin lifted her up into the air and spun her around before kissing her. The corner of my mouth twitched, and I looked away finally noticing the attention I was receiving from the villagers. There were a ton of humans as well as animals, and odd looking creatures whispering among themselves as they stared at me. Feeling nervous, I clutched onto Simba's fur as I slid off his back.

The lion nuzzled my side and said, "It's alright; you're safe now."

A short elderly Chinese man walked up to me and smiled. "Welcome. I am Luong Lao Shi, the village leader, but everyone calls me Grandpa. What is your name, young one?"

"Aralyne Loreley Chanson," I said quietly shifting my head so that my hair covered most of my face. I really didn't want all of this attention, and wanted to hide. Although, when I do want attention, I will seek it.

"You must be tired and hungry, Aralyne," said Grandpa with concern, "Why don't I have Mrs. Hawkins take you to her inn, where you can rest and eat? Then we shall talk."

A kind looking woman with brown hair stepped out of the crowd and gently took hold of my arm. Right behind her was a teenage boy about fifteen with the same brown hair, but it was pulled back into a ponytail. He looked as if he were sulking about something.

"Oh, um, I really don't want to be a bother to anyone," I muttered feeling warm.

"It's no bother," said Mrs. Hawkins with a smile. She gently led me away from Simba, and Grandpa, the teenage boy following us. The crowd parted to let us through, and I avoided eye contact with anyone. We soon made it to a building several stories high and a sign by the door read _Benbow Inn_. "Jim," said Mrs. Hawkins when we were inside, "Go get a bed ready for her." The boy left up a flight of stairs without saying anything.

Mrs. Hawkins took me into a dining area and had me sit down at a table. "I'll be right back with some food," she said as she left. I looked around the inn, and found it very quaint. It reminded me of old historical buildings. Hearing footsteps, I turned to see Jim had returned. He leaned against the wall at the foot of the stairs and just stared at me.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and gave him a small smile. "Hi," I said attempting to start a conversation.

"Hey," he replied.

Thankfully, Mrs. Hawkins returned at that moment with a plate heaped with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. My stomach let out an embarrassingly loud rumble as she set the plate before me. "Thank you," I said before taking a bite.

Jim continued to watch me in silence, while Mrs. Hawkins made conversation. "So, Aralyne, what hobbies do you have?" she asked.

I hesitated before answering. "Well, I have many hobbies."

"Such as?" she persisted.

"I like to sing, but I'm not great at it. I also love to dance. I can draw, but not very well, I might add."

"As you can see, I just work here at the inn," said Mrs. Hawkins with a slight laugh, "My son, Jim, loves to solar surf. Have you ever tried it?" I shook my head in fascination. I was always intrigued by other people's skills. "Perhaps he can teach you. What do you say, Jim?" We both glanced over in his direction.

He just shrugged and said, "Whatever." Jim walked away and left the inn. There was a burning sensation in my gut, and I couldn't help but feel that he hated me.

* * *

Grandpa had noticed that Hercules, Mrs. Incredible, and Adam had not returned with the group. "Where are the others?" he inquired of Mulan, Merida, and Simba.

"They stayed behind to fight," Simba explained, "While we got Aralyne and Aladdin out." No sooner had he finished saying this when Mrs. Incredible, Hercules, and Adam entered the village looking exhausted.

Mulan gaped at them, her gaze landing on Adam last, "You guys are okay!"

"Of course we are," said Adam, "You didn't think a couple of villains could stop us, did you?"

"Well done, my friends," said Grandpa with a nod, "for rescuing the girl. You all deserve to rest."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Mrs. Incredible said gratefully and the rescue team split up to relax.

* * *

When I had finished eating, Mrs. Hawkins insisted that I go upstairs to take a nap, but the strange thing was, I wasn't tired. Whatever hypnotic spell those pythons had on me must have been my resting time. When I had politely refused to sleep, she took me back outside to face the crowd.

"You are not, tired?" Grandpa asked when he saw me.

"No, Sir," I replied shaking my head, once again avoiding the stares from the villagers. I just focused on Grandpa.

"Well, the first thing I would like to ask is, where are you from?"

"I'm from New Mexico," I said earning a confused look from everyone in the village, "You know, in the United States? In North America?" No one said anything and I had a wild urge to add _From planet, earth? You guys know where that is, right?_

"We have never heard of such a place," said Grandpa, "It must be in a different world."

_Okay, wait! Back up!_ "Different world?" I inquired feeling my stomach sink. _This could not be happening!_

"Yes, there are many different worlds. This one in particular is called Incantationen; it is where my people reside. You are not the first to stumble upon this world, Aralyne. There have been others before you. Rudyard Kipling, Victor Hugo, Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Anderson, the Brothers Grimm, Don Bluth, Butch Hartman, J.M. Barrie, and Walt Disney are but a few."

"W-What?" I stammered feeling sick, "Are you telling me that every story I know is _true?!_" Everything began to spin and I crumpled to the ground. _I was stuck in the middle of a fairytale!_

"Yo, Gramps, is she gonna be okay?" a male voice inquired. I was distinctly aware of a person grabbing my arm and trying to pull me back up to my feet. I looked up to see a Chinese boy about fourteen looking down at me with concern.

"Leave her be, Jake," said Grandpa, "She's just in a state of shock."

Jake…. A cartoon I watched as a child flashed before my eyes and I suddenly realized who he was. "_Jake Long?!_" I croaked out staring at the boy. He was startled for a second then smiled at me.

"Yo, what's up, Aralyne?"

And the rest of the names I've heard since I arrived: Mulan, Eilonwy, Aladdin, Shere Khan, Ray, Adam, Mrs. Incredible, Jim and Mrs. Hawkins, Merida, Hercules, Aurora. _They are all fictional characters!_ I finally looked at the crowd and recognized so many characters I've grown up reading or watching. Running my fingers through my hair with a sigh, I allowed Jake to help me up to my feet.

"Okay," I said, "I'm in a world full of fictional characters. Normally, under any other condition, I would be thrilled about this, but I was _kidnapped_ by _Dr. Facilier_ the _voodoo man_ or _shadow man_ or whatever he's called here, and I was put in danger by a couple of pythons – who I now realize are _Kaa_ and _Sir Hiss_ – and _Shere Khan!_ Some mysterious villain who I don't know wants me for some stupid reason and everything is just so wrong right now! I just want to go home!"

"I am sorry," said Grandpa, "for all of your misfortune. If I knew how to send you home, then it would be done."

"But the others you mentioned that came before me," I said, "How did they get home?"

"We do not know," Grandpa replied, "It must have been with some powerful magic, though."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_(Song in this chapter is "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna)_

The Evil One wasn't hurt from his pummeling by Hercules. In fact, he never felt any physical pain. The demi-god's bashing had been nothing but a hindrance causing him to lose his hold on Aralyne. And, of course, the heroes had left with the girl. He glared at his followers, and they shrank back in fear, including Shego, the most sinister of this small group.

"You let her _escape!_" he growled at them. Prince John suddenly skirted out from behind the throne and ducked behind Gantu, the largest of the villains. "I want her _back!_ McLeach," he said turning to the man with the gun, "Send word to all villains I want them here _now!_" Percival C. McLeach gladly left the throne room at a run.

It wasn't long until the villains had arrived and fearfully stared up at the Evil One. "I _want_ that girl," he groaned at them all, "Go out and bring her to me _alive!_ She will join us and with her on our side, we shall take over all of Incantationen, before proceeding on to other worlds. Now _GO!_" The villains trampled each other to get out of the throne room.

Prince John, never one to do anything on his own, went out in search of his partner in crime. "Hiss!" he shouted out searching the castle. "Hiss, where are you?!" He passed by the wine cellar. "Hiss! You're never around when I need you!"

The lion suddenly heard Sir Hiss's muffled voice. "Coming. Coming." He followed the voice to a barrel. "For I'm a jolly good fellow. For I'm a jolly good –" Prince John uncorked the barrel and Sir Hiss's head slithered out. "Oh! There you are, old boy! P.J., you won't believe this, but there are intruders in the castle."

"Intruders," he growled grabbing the snake and yanking him out of the barrel. "You worthless snake! Why didn't you sound the alarm?!" Prince John tied Sir Hiss into a bow and dropped him on the floor. "Get out of _that_ if you can…."

* * *

None of this made any sense! I glanced over at Aladdin and Aurora in each other's arms and frowned slightly. According to Disney, Aladdin was with Jasmine, not Sleeping Beauty, and Aurora was with Phillip. _Idiot!_ I silently chided myself, _You should know by now that in every story there is a seed of truth! The rest is usually made up!_ Well, the seed is they exist, the stories, I guess, were all lies. With a sigh I said out loud, "Well, it looks like I'm stuck here until I can find a way back home."

"You're more than welcome to stay at the inn," said Mrs. Hawkins with a smile.

"Thank you," I replied with a small grin of my own. I stuck my hands into the pockets of my sweater and glanced down at my clothes. _Well, I've got a place to stay, but what am I going to wear? I can't run around here in my pajamas all the time!_ As if reading my mind, Aurora left Aladdin's side and ran up to me.

"I have an extra dress I can give you, if you like," she said startling me. Then other girls came up to me saying the same thing, and I was able to distinguish each female: Ella, – also known as Cinderella – Belle, Esmeralda, Snow White, and Jasmine.

"Oh, thank you," I said blinking at them.

"It's settled then," said Grandpa with a nod, "I look forward to seeing you around the village, Aralyne." He walked off, and soon the crowd dispersed.

"We'll meet you over at the inn," said Snow White beaming at me. Then she and the other girls ran off in different directions.

"Come along," said Mrs. Hawkins, "I'll show you to your room." I followed her back to the Benbow Inn.

* * *

I felt like a Barbie doll. Not only did Snow, Ella, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, and Esmeralda bring me clothes with matching shoes, they began to dress me up in them as well. The shoes were lined up against the wall of my room in the inn, and all of the outfits – mostly dresses – were lying neatly on my bed. At the moment, Snow had squeezed me into one of her blue and yellow dresses. _How many of these does she have?_ The girls seemed to be having fun and were giggling.

"Oo! Now have her try on this one!" Ella said holding up a pink dress covered in bows. I cringed at the sight of it. Yeah, the bows would have to go.

No longer wanting to play Barbie, I finally spoke up, "Thank you for the clothes, but if you don't mind, I'd like to change and go explore the village."

"Sure," said Belle, "Would you like a guide? We'd be glad to show you around."

"Thank you, but no. I'd like some time to myself," I replied.

"See you around," Esmeralda said with a wave as she and the girls left. Ella was the last one to leave my room. She suddenly froze outside my door and I noticed her staring at a picture on the wall. It was of Sinbad with a sarcastic smile upon his face. Ella ran down the hall, her hands covering her face, and she pushed passed the girls.

"Ella?" said Jasmine as they stared after her. Jasmine chased her down. "Ella, wait!"

Confused, I shut the door and walked back to the bed gazing down at the outfits. Not wanting to go exploring in any type of skirt, I shed off Snow White's dress and slipped on one of Jasmine's outfits – a sea-foam green off-the-shoulder top that showed my stomach, and matching pants with gold flats. I pulled half my hair into a small ponytail and let the rest fall loosely around my shoulders.

Once finished, I left my room, and passed through the dining room where Mrs. Hawkins was serving customers lunch.

"Mrs. Hawkins!" shouted out a fairy wearing a red dress made of flower petals and had red hair. She was no bigger than six inches tall and sat on top of a table beside a thimble.

"I know," said Mrs. Hawkins facing the fairy, her arms laden with food, "refill on the berry juice. Coming right up, Rosetta." She stopped at a table with Simba, Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa. "There we go. That's an antelope leg for Simba," she set down a plate with the animal limb, "A zebra hide for Nala," Mrs. Hawkins set that down, too, "And it's a big bowl of worms for the boys!" I gagged as Pumbaa began slurping the insects like spaghetti.

For a while, I was distracted watching the fictional characters eat.

"Enjoy," said Mrs. Hawkins leaving the Lion King table and heading towards a humanoid-looking dog. "Sorry, Delbert. It's been a madhouse here all morning," she said placing a dog bowl before Delbert.

"No problem, Sarah," Delbert replied then grinned down at his lunch. "Ah! My Alponian chowder with the extra solara seed. Mmm! Yum!" As he began sniffing his food, what looked to be a blue koala – Stitch, I realized – ran up to the table and stared up at Delbert. "Hello," said Delbert shifting in his seat uncomfortably, "What brings you here, curious little one?" Stitch grinned up at him. "Go away." Stitch remained. "What's the matter? Cat got your – yaah!" An extra pair of arms sprouted out of Stitch's side and antennae burst forth from the top of his head. His tongue shot out and he ate Delbert's food in one gulp.

"Meega nala kweesta!" Stitch shouted before running off laughing. I couldn't help but giggle, too.

"Oh, that's so adorable," said Mrs. Hawkins with a smile.

"Oh, yes," said Delbert his voice thick with sarcasm, "deplorable. Uh… adorable! Hmm."

Mrs. Hawkins finally noticed me just standing there. "Aralyne, would you mind finding Jim for me? I need his help."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Hawkins," I replied going out in search of Jim.

I found Jim sitting on the roof of the Benbow Inn beside a window. In one hand he held pebbles, while he flicked them with the other. "Jim," I said climbing onto the roof and sitting beside him, "Your mother's looking for you." He stopped tossing the pebbles but didn't look at me, or say anything.

Then we heard Delbert's voice muffled through the window. "I really don't know how you manage it, Sarah." Jim turned his head to look through the window. I followed his gaze down into the inn; we could see Delbert and Mrs. Hawkins clearly. Delbert continued, "Trying to raise a felon like – felon… fellow… fellow like Jim."

I glanced up at Jim. He turned his head from the window as Mrs. Hawkins answered, "Managing it? I'm at the end of my rope. Ever since his father left and Sinbad died well, Jim's just never recovered. And you know how smart he is. He built his first solar surfer when he was eight! And yet, he's failing at school, he is constantly in trouble, and when I talk to him he's like a stranger to me. I don't know, Delbert, I've tried everything –" Jim's eyes were unusually shiny as he finally looked at me. I got the message: big tough boys didn't cry, especially in front of girls.

"Jim," I said quietly, "What happened?"

"You heard her," he croaked out, "My dad left and my brother died. What more do you need to know?"

"Okay, then. You don't have to tell me anything," I said patiently. I've had tons of practice with my little brother. "Just remember, I'm here if you ever need to talk." I stood up and dusted off my backside. "Now come on, your mother said she needed your help. I'll drag you all the way down if I have to." The corner of Jim's mouth twitched. Yeah, I knew what he was thinking: someone as tiny as me couldn't possibly drag him anywhere. I beamed as he got to his feet. "I'll see you later, Jim, I'm going to go explore," I said with a wave.

I climbed down from the roof and wandered down the street. There were a great deal of citizens that smiled and waved at me as if we had known each other our whole lives – well, it was true for me. I have known most of them my entire life. It wasn't long until I heard music playing and I followed it to its source. I swerved my way through a crowd to find a man with black hair wearing a white shirt, blue pants, and black boots playing a flute. Beside him was a man with blonde hair and facial hair wearing a red shirt and brown pants playing the guitar. Miguel and Eric. Dancing to the music was Nani, Lilo, Esmeralda, Jasmine, Shanti, Mowgli, and Ranjan. Near their feet was a hat filled with coins. Watching them, I smiled and clapped along to the beat. When the music had stopped, the performers took a bow and the audience applauded. Mowgli and Ranjan jumped onto a wall and sat there, while Shanti picked up a drum. Eric, Miguel, and Shanti began playing a new song – one I happened to recognize. I couldn't help but start singing as the girls began to dance:

_"Como puede ser verdad"_

Lilo noticed this. She ran forward, grabbed my hand and pulled me out to dance. The crowd cheered, and I felt myself blush. The music washed over me and I swayed my hips to the rhythm as I continued:

_"Last night I dreamt of San Pedro_

_Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song_

_A young girl with eyes like the desert_

_It all seems like yesterday, not far away_

_Tropical the island breeze_

_All of nature, wild and free_

_This is where I long to be_

_La isla bonita_

_And when the samba played_

_The sun would set so high_

_Ring through my ears and sting my eyes_

_Your Spanish lullaby_

_I fell in love with San Pedro_

_Warm wind carried on the sea, he called to me_

_Te digo te amo_

_I prayed that the days would last, they went so fast_

_Tropical the island breeze_

_All of nature, wild and free_

_This is where I long to be_

_La isla bonita_

_And when the samba played_

_The sun would set so high_

_Ring through my ears and sting my eyes_

_Your Spanish lullaby_

_I want to be where the sun warms the sky_

_When it's time for siesta you can watch them go by_

_Beautiful faces, no cares in this world_

_Where a girl loves a boy and a boy loves a girl_

_Last night I dreamt of San Pedro_

_It all seems like yesterday, not far away_

_Tropical the island breeze_

_All of nature, wild and free_

_This is where I long to be_

_La isla bonita_

_And when the samba played_

_The sun would set so high_

_Ring through my ears and sting my eyes_

_Your Spanish lullaby_

_Tropical the island breeze_

_All of nature, wild and free_

_This is where I long to be_

_La isla bonita_

_And when the samba played_

_The sun would set so high_

_Ring through my ears and sting my eyes_

_Your Spanish lullaby__"_

I finally stopped when the music faded out. I swear the applause was deafening, as I buried my red face into my hands. Shaking my head I finally looked up and grinned at my audience.

Suddenly, Mowgli whistled grabbing everyone's attention. They exchanged worried glances and scrambled for cover. Jasmine grabbed the hat full of coins and ran.

"Aralyne, come on!" Esmeralda cried grasping my hand and dragging me down the street. _What the hell was going on?!_ We hadn't gotten far when we slammed into a large animal. It was a fat gray wolf wearing medieval-looking clothes, and a sheriff star was pinned to his chest.

"Well, looky what we have here," he said in an annoyingly nasally voice with a sinister grin.

"Sheriff of Nottingham," Esmeralda growled glaring up at him as she stood in front of me, "What do you want?"

The Sheriff pointed at me, "I want her…."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_(Song in this chapter is "Spirit of the Sea" by Blackmore's Night)_

_You have got to be kidding me!_ Did every villain want me to be on their side? How persistent were they going to be?

"Over my dead body," Esmeralda spat in the Sheriff's face.

With a nasally chuckle, the wolf replied, "Well that can be arranged. Ratcliffe, Cortez, grab them." I felt a pair of hands grab me beneath the shoulders and yank me out of Esmeralda's grasp. With a quick glance behind me, I saw a man with long greasy black hair and wearing purple colonial clothing. Ugh! Ratcliffe. Cortez, wearing a Spanish conquistador suit of armor, had taken hold of Esmeralda. She struggled to break free, but couldn't do much. Now, what was it my dad told me? Oh, yeah! Aim for the sensitive parts of the body. I jabbed my elbow backwards, and because I'm so short, I struck my captor's groin. Ratcliffe doubled over in pain, releasing me. Before I could make a break for it, however, Cortez had grabbed me. Esmeralda and I couldn't cause him any physical harm due to his damn suit of armor.

_Great_, I thought, _A village full of heroes and no one runs to our rescue. So not cool!_

Ratcliffe straightened up glaring at me. "You wretched little heathen!" he hissed unsheathing his sword and pressing the tip against my throat, pricking the skin. I stared down at the blade nervously, completely frozen.

"What do you think you're doing?" growled Cortez as the Sheriff of Nottingham shoved the sword away from me. I gave a sigh of relief. "The Evil One wants her _alive!_ Or have you forgotten?" I froze again. _On second thought, just kill me!_

"Look, cuz," said a young female voice, "A couple of losers and their Chihuahua." I looked around the village street, but didn't see who had spoken. I did, however, see a couple of shadows. My gaze lifted up into the sky to see a girl of twelve and a boy of fourteen wearing black and white outfits floating in the air. They both had snow white hair and glowing green eyes. The boy swooped down and punched Cortez in the face. Cortez stumbled backwards allowing Esmeralda and me to escape his hold.

"Watch it, Tin Man," Danny Phantom said continuing to fight Cortez. Meanwhile, Dani Phantom took on Ratcliffe, which left Esmeralda and me with the Sheriff of Nottingham. The wolf pulled out his sword and faced us – well, Esmeralda mostly, now that I know they're not allowed to kill me. Harming me, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. He slashed at Esmeralda and she jumped back, missing the blade by inches. As he went in for another attack, I jumped in between them and the Sheriff moved his sword at the last second to avoid stabbing me in the stomach. As a result, he sliced the left strap of my top and slashed into my skin. I bit back a cry as blood began to stream down my arm.

"Get out of my way," he said reaching out and trying to push me aside, but I refused to budge. A little fun fact about me, I may be tiny, but I can be pretty strong.

"I don't think so," I replied glaring at him. With my uninjured arm, I smacked the Sheriff under the arm, striking a nerve. I know his limb had gone numb when he dropped his sword. Esmeralda quickly grabbed the sword and pressed the point upon his bulging stomach.

The Sheriff raised his hands as if in surrender and took a couple of steps back. "Now, now," he said eyeing the weapon, "let's not be too hasty." He suddenly froze, his eyes glowing green, and said, "I'm a filthy flea-bitten mutt that drinks out of the toilet." Esmeralda and I exchanged confused glances. The Sheriff continued staring directly at me, "You're very pretty, Aralyne. Will you go out with me?"

I finally understood what was going on. "Danny? Get out of there!" The boy Phantom had overshadowed the Sheriff of Nottingham. Danny stepped out of the wolf's body grinning. At first, the Sheriff was confused, but once he had gotten his bearings, he ran off.

"That's my cousin for you," said Dani coming to our side with her arms folded over her chest, "Always flirting with pretty girls." Esmeralda and I glanced over at Cortez and Ratcliffe to see them lying in a heap unconscious.

"Thank you for your help, Danny and Dani," said Esmeralda leaning against the sword she stole.

"Yes, thank you," I said then added looking directly at the boy, "And I'm sorry, I won't go out with you. But here." I stood on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek. He blushed and I couldn't help but grin at him. Dani giggled.

"Why won't you?" he inquired tilting his head to the side.

My smile faded slightly. "I have my reasons," I replied quietly.

Another ghost suddenly popped out of thin air, startling me and I screamed, clinging to Danny.

"I am the Box Ghost…. BEWARE!" the new-comer said.

Rolling her eyes in irritation, Dani shot him with a ghost ray and the Box Ghost flew away in pain.

"Sorry," I muttered in embarrassment pulling away from Danny. I felt like an idiot!

Both of the Phantoms flew off with Danny looking slightly upset by my rejection. I had to admit, I felt guilty. I couldn't exactly start any type of relationship here, and creating friendships was pushing it. When they had left, Captain Phoebus arrived (definitely looking like his namesake) with a myriad of soldiers to arrest Ratcliffe and Cortez. Citizens warily came out of hiding (bunch of cowards) to see the arrest.

"Are you two all right?" Phoebus inquired of Esmeralda and me.

"Yes, Sir," we said with a nod. Once he was satisfied with our well-being, he and the soldiers left with their prisoners. Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan, Nani, Lilo, Eric, Miguel and Jasmine – accompanied with Aladdin – ran our way.

"Aralyne," said Aladdin grasping me beneath the shoulders and observing me from head to toe. I winced as he touched the cut on my arm. "Are you hurt?" he demanded. Way to be the over-protective big brother. "I came as soon as my sister told me she had seen the Sheriff, Cortez, and Ratcliffe. They were after you, weren't they? Why is the Evil One so persistent in having you?"

"First off," I said pulling away from him to see my blood dripping down his hand, "I'm fine, other than this cut on my arm. Yes, they were after me, and who is your sister?" I didn't want to answer his last question.

"I am," said Jasmine with a smile, "We're twins."

Little Ranjan ran up to me and tugged on my pant leg. "Aralyne," he said, "You're bleeding. Was it the Sheriff that hurt you? I'll rip him to pieces!" The child began punching the air, spun around and toppled over onto this behind.

Smiling at how adorable he is, I lifted him into my arms. "Ranjan, you are my little hero!" I kissed him on the cheek before setting him back down on his feet.

Nani came up and gently took hold of my injured arm. "Come with us, and we'll patch you up good as new."

"Thank you," I said following her and the rest of the street performers through the village and into a small hidden community occupied to be what looked like those that chose to be homeless. There were beds and small forts and caravans all over the place. _This seems like a simple life_, I thought looking around at the scene, _probably something I might enjoy_. Nani took me to a caravan where she began to clean and wrap up my wound. At the same time Jasmine stitched up the tear in my top strap. I could have done that part myself, really, but it felt nice having someone else fix it.

While I watched Jasmine, I suddenly remembered something. "Jasmine, what was wrong with Ella over at the inn?" I inquired.

Jasmine hesitated a moment and cut the thread that had repaired my top before answering, "She's having a difficult time at the moment. And something at the inn had triggered her emotions. She should be fine."

"Difficult time?" said Eric sitting on a crate, "It's been five years. She's got to let it go."

"Don't be so insensitive," scolded Shanti frowning at him.

"He's got a point," added Miguel.

An argument broke out among all of them and I felt forgotten. Not wanting to stay around any longer in case this got any worse, I said, "Well, thanks for your help. I'll be leaving now." My words fell upon deaf ears. I quickly skirted out of the community and returned to wandering around the village.

* * *

The Sheriff of Nottingham had returned to the Evil One's castle and was soon standing before his leader. "I had nearly gotten her, your most evilness, sir, but there were some complications," he said in his nasally voice. "She had angered Ratcliffe, and he nearly killed her," the Evil One's eyes flared angrily for a moment, "B-but Cortez and I stopped him, of course. Then that annoying duo, Danny and Dani Phantom arrived and saved her. A gypsy got in my way and while I tried disposing of her, the girl got in the way. I tried moving my sword in time, but I had sliced her arm –"

"_WHAT?!_" the Evil One roared causing dust to fall from the ceiling. He reached out and grasped the Sheriff around the throat. The wolf began to choke and clawed at the decrepit hand holding him. "_How deep was the wound?_"

"I… don't know," the Sheriff croaked.

"_She had better not be dead!_" The Evil One squeezed ever tighter, until there was a snap and the Sheriff hung limply in his grasp, dead….

* * *

Tzekel-Kan had been summoned by his minion through an image hovering in mid-air. His servant was wearing a dark cloak to cover his identity. "Tzekel-Kan," he said, "the girl is here in the village. What would you like me to do?"

The villain gave an evil smile and replied, "Follow her around. Gain her trust. And when the time is right, you will bring her to me. Then we shall present her to the Evil One." The cloaked figure nodded and the image disappeared.

* * *

After about an hour of roaming around, I found a port where a myriad of ships were docked; either they had just come in or were ready to go. And not far from there was a beach. Growing up in the Midwest, I've only been surrounded by either desert or mountains, so seeing the ocean was a real treat. I quickly made my way towards the beach, having to climb over a bunch of boulders grouped together. On the last boulder, I stood up and looked out over the ocean, watching the waves lap against the shore; the sun was setting, making everything look enchanting. Before I could climb back down, I saw a lone forlorn figure strolling down the sand. I soon recognized the golden locks of Ella and she began to sing:

_"I took a walk along the shore_

_To clear my mind about the day,_

_I saw a man I'd seen before_

_As I approached, he slipped away…._

_I knew his face from years ago,_

_His smile stays with me ever more_

_His eyes, they guide me through the haze_

_And bring me shelter from the storm…._

_As I walk I can feel him,_

_Always watching over me…._

_His voice surrounds me,_

_My spirit of the Sea…._

_He went away so long ago,_

_On a maiden voyage far away_

_A young man then I did not know,_

_His life was taken that same day…._

_And it was almost like he knew_

_He wouldn't see me anymore_

_He looked so deeply in my eyes, and said_

_'Wait for me along the shore….'_

_As I walk I can feel him,_

_Always watching over me…._

_His voice surrounds me,_

_My spirit of the Sea…._

_And so I come most every day,_

_To watch the waves rise and fall,_

_And as I sit here on the sand_

_This ocean makes me feel so small…._

_But I feel my lover by my side,_

_And he makes me follow my own heart_

_We'll be together some sweet day_

_When that day comes we'll never part…._

_When that day comes we'll never part…._

_Wait for me along the shore…."_

"Sad isn't it?" I heard a male voice say behind me, making me jump. My foot slipped and I almost fell headfirst off the boulder. A pair of arms wrapped around me and pulled me back so that I wouldn't fall. "Whoa, careful," he said. I spun around to see…

"Eric!" I gasped, holding on to him, "You startled me!" I glanced back at Ella. "Who is she singing about?"

He gave me a sad smile. "Can't you figure it out?"

_She suddenly froze outside my door and I noticed her staring at a picture on the wall. It was of Sinbad with a sarcastic smile upon his face. Ella ran down the hall, her hands covering her face, and she pushed passed the girls…. "Ever since his father left and Sinbad died well, Jim's just never recovered….". _I looked back up at Eric. "Sinbad," I said, "She was in love with Sinbad. What happened?"

"He went out on a ship to go look for his father, and the day after the ship sailed out, there was a terrible storm. I was the only one that survived," he replied.

My eyes widened in surprise. "You?"

"Yeah, I was part of that crew."

Turning my attention back to Ella, I felt compassion for her, and wondered what it would be like to lose the one you love. Pulling out of Eric's arms, I slid off the boulder down into the sand below. I ran over to the sad woman. "Ella!" I called out. She turned to me in surprise and waited for me to catch up. Even though I didn't really know her, I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She was startled for a moment before embracing me in return. "It's okay," I whispered in her ear. Ella hugged me tighter and began to weep on my shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Aralyne," a voice whispered waking me from a deep sleep. I opened my eyes and saw a masculine form standing at the edge of my bed leaning over me.

"Jim?" I said groggily sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes, "What's going on?" I finally blinked up into his blue eyes.

"You said I could talk to you whenever I needed to," he replied quietly. _Yeah, but I meant during the day!_

"Okay, what do you need to talk about?" I inquired.

Jim sat on the edge of my bed and answered, "It's about Sinbad. He's not dead."

I frowned slightly. "What are you talking about? Of course he is. Your mom, and Ella –"

"They've given up hope," he whispered in irritation, "He's alive; I can feel it. When Eric had washed up on the beach from the accident, he said he didn't see anyone else from the crew. Sinbad could have ended up somewhere else, a different land, or an island or something. And – and you don't believe me." He scowled at me noticing the disbelief on my face. "Never mind, I wasted my time coming in here." He stood up to leave.

"No!" I cried scrambling out of bed and grasping his arm, "Jim, wait! I'm sorry. I do find it hard to believe that Sinbad is still alive based on an eye-witness account. But I believe that you believe your brother's still alive."

"So will you help me find him?" he asked his eyes glittering with hope.

Seeing him look so desperate for my assistance, I couldn't exactly turn him down. "If I can," I replied, "But how? Where will we start looking for him?"

"We'll start where he disappeared," said Jim with a knowing look, "In the sea."

"But, we'll need a boat," I pointed out, "And who will loan us one?"

"I've got that covered," he said with a nod, "We'll head out tonight. So pack what you think you'll need. I'll be waiting out in the hall." Jim then left and shut the door behind him.

Pack? I didn't know what I would need and how long we would be gone. I stripped out of my pajamas and changed into another one of Jasmine's outfits. (I sure as hell wasn't going on any adventure wearing a dress!) The top was blue, long-sleeved, trimmed in gold, and the pants were designed the same way, with a low-cut skirt attached to it. The ballet flats that went along with the outfit were also gold. I just grabbed my sweater in case it got cold or started raining. Once ready, I left my room and, true to his word, Jim was waiting for me in the hall.

"Ready?" he asked, and I nodded. He took hold of my hand, and pulled me down the stairs into the inn's lobby.

"Wait," I said quietly, "Shouldn't we tell your mother where we're going? She'll be worried."

"No," he replied shaking his head, "She'll just keep us from going to look for Sinbad."

Feeling guilty, I bit my lip and allowed him to lead me out of the inn. In the dead of night, we made our way towards the port, but he stopped before a small house and he knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Delbert and a humanoid-looking cat.

"Jim, what are you doing here?" asked Delbert in surprise.

"I came to ask a favor of Captain Amelia," Jim said looking at the humanoid-cat.

Captain Amelia had been observing me before answering my companion, "Yes, what is it?"

"Aralyne and I need a ship, and since you were heading out tomorrow, we were wondering if we could tag along?"

"And what for, may I ask?" said Captain Amelia, cocking up an eyebrow.

"We're going out to look for my brother," said Jim.

"But, Jim," said Delbert with a frown, "You're brother's dead."

Jim scowled. "No he's _not_, and I'll _prove_ it!" he growled. He turned his attention back to Captain Amelia, "We're going with you."

She tilted her head to the side slightly, "Alright, Mr. Hawkins. You and Miss Chanson may come along, but it won't be free. You have to earn your keep."

"Amelia," said Delbert, "Think of what Sarah would say if we let them go."

"Oh, poppycock. Let the young ones go. Where's your sense of adventure, Delbert?"

"Fine," he said, "I'll stay to tell Sarah where you've gone."

"Well, come inside, Mr. Hawkins, and Miss Chanson. We set off at dawn, and no sense in waiting outside all night."

Jim and I entered the house to get a couple more hours of sleep before setting off on our adventure.

* * *

The port was alive with activity as Jim, Captain Amelia and I headed towards her ship at dawn. I watched as a blonde man stepped onto a cannon that was being lifted into the air to be set onto the ship we were to board.

"Wow," I said watching him walk the deck of the ship.

"Yeah, John Smith is pretty cool," said a voice behind me. With a startled jump I spun around to see a boy with black hair, blue eyes, wearing blue jeans, and a red and white shirt. I gave him a confused look, wondering who he may be. "Don't recognize me?" he said flashing me a smile. His eyes glowed green for a moment before returning back to blue.

"Danny?" I said in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to join your little adventure," he replied, "While I was out patrolling the sky, I saw you and Jim heading towards the port. Thought I'd come along to make sure you're safe."

"Oh," I said blushing as Jim rolled his eyes in exasperation, "That's, um, very sweet of you."

"Looks like Danny and I have the same idea," another voice cut in. We all swiveled around to see Eric heading our way. "We can't exactly have a defenseless lady out on her own now, can we?"

"Eric, you're coming along, too?" I inquired.

"Of course he is," said Captain Amelia, "He's part of my crew."

"Really?" I said staring up into Eric's blue eyes.

He laughed at the surprised look on my face. "I'm not just a street performer. I need a real job to earn a little extra money."

We boarded the ship and Captain Amelia introduced us to the rest of her crew. "Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Fenton, Miss Chanson, meet the rest of my company: John Smith, John Rolfe, Dimitri, Marina, Proteus, Milo Thatch, Audrey, Vinny, Sweet, Cookie, Packard, Mole, John Silver, James Hook, Rourke, Helga, and Mr. Smee."

I stared at the last five wide-eyed. _Seriously?!_ Was Captain Amelia stupid, or something? They were all _villains!_ (Well, Smee is an exception. He's too nice to be a real villain.) Eric must have known what I was thinking because he whispered in my ear, "Don't believe the stories you were told. Some villains may be heroes, and some heroes may be villains. Besides, the Captain is a good judge of character." I looked up to see something glint in his eyes, and nodded in understanding.

"Mr. Fenton, and Mr. Hawkins, since you insist on coming along, I am assigning you some jobs to do on the deck," said Captain Amelia. She threw Jim a mop and bucket, "You're on mop duty," and she pointed to Cookie and John Silver, "And you're on kitchen duty."

"Great," Danny and Jim grumbled under their breaths.

When the boys had gone to do their work, I turned to Captain Amelia. "What will I be doing?" I inquired clasping my hands behind my back.

"You," she said to me, "will be helping Mr. Thatch. He's to be our navigator. We're about to set sail, so off you go."

The crew began doing their odd jobs and I ran to the side of the ship to watch us take off. The ship cut through the water with ease as we left the port. The salty sea air blew in my face, causing my curls to fly backwards. I've never been on a ship before and it felt absolutely thrilling that I almost felt like I were flying. After a while, however, I started to feel queasy. I hunched over holding my stomach as I felt the waves bob us back and forth. A figure suddenly ran by me, and leaned over the rail vomiting into the ocean. It was Milo Thatch.

"Carrots," he muttered rubbing his face, "Why is it always carrots? I didn't even eat carrots!"

"Looks like both our navigators are seasick," said a female voice. Milo and I turned to see Marina smiling at us, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Doubt it," I groaned, at the same time Milo said, "Not likely."

"Come along," said Marina, "I'm sure Joshua Sweet has some remedy to soothe your stomachs." Milo and I followed her across the ship to the crew's doctor.

* * *

_Who knew being on a ship would be so boring?_ Jim thought as he sat up on his hammock slipping on his boot. It was early in the morning, and the cabin was quiet except for Danny snoring on the floor and Aralyne sleeping on the only bed. They had been out at sea for several days and the most exciting thing was seeing whales jump out of the ocean. After leaving the cabin, he went down into the kitchens to find some food before setting out to work. Still half asleep, he tripped over his own feet and fell behind a crate of potatoes. Before he could get back up, however, he heard others enter the kitchens. He peeked around the crate to see Silver, Hook, Smee, Rourke, and Helga.

"So, we've got Aralyne on board," said Helga folding her arms over her chest, "Now how are we going to present her to the Evil One?" Jim's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"Patience, m'dear, patience," said Hook.

"Don't ye worry about it," Silver growled, "What we really need to do now is capture the girl when she's alone. Then we'll take her back to the Evil One."

"We've had several days to do it, Silver," said Roarke slamming his fist on the table. "Why is it taking so damn long?"

"Yes," agreed Smee with a nod, "Why is it taking so long?"

"Are you lot out of your blooming mind?!" Silver roared, "We were too close to port, therefore if we had tried anything then, we would have gotten caught. Out here at sea, we can kidnap the girl and make it look like there had been an accident and she died!"

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" they heard Proteus call out from above, "THERE'S A STORM COMING!"

Helga, Hook, Silver, Rourke, and Smee exchanged glances before leaving the kitchens and heading up on deck. When they had gone, Jim stood up and processed what he heard through his mind. _I have to warn Aralyne!_ he thought rubbing his face. He ran towards the stairs and almost made it up when a figure stood in his path. Jim stared up at Silver who blinked at him in surprise.

"Jimbo," said Silver walking towards Jim, "What are you doin' down here? There's a storm coming."

"Yeah, I heard," replied Jim backing up into the table. He grasped the knife behind him, ran forward, and stabbed Silver in the leg, before running upstairs. Jim went all the way back to his cabin and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Wasss goin' on?" Danny asked his voice slurred with sleep as he sat up.

Ignoring him, Jim ran to Aralyne and grasped her by the shoulders. "Aralyne!" he shouted out shaking her, "Aralyne, wake up!"

* * *

My eyes snapped open and I suddenly sat up in bed to find Jim holding me by the shoulders looking frantic. "Jim, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep.

"We have to get out of here," he said releasing me and throwing me my sweater, "I just overheard Silver, Rourke, Hook, Smee, and Helga talking. They're going to take you to the Evil One."

"What?!" Danny and I exclaimed in unison. We shot to our feet, and both boys grabbed each of my hands and dragged me out of the cabin towards Captain Amelia. Outside, there were major storm clouds swirling above us in the sky and the ship was rocking violently on the waves. My hair blew all over the place, slapping me on the cheeks and stinging my eyes.

"Captain!" Jim and Danny cried out, but she just waved us aside.

"Not now, boys," she said, "Can't you see we're about to hit a storm?"

Noticing our distress, Eric and Dimitri came toward us. "What is it?" they yelled over the wind.

Danny and Jim spent no time at all explaining what the problem was. Dimitri swore and Eric waved us to a life boat.

"Come on," Eric said, "We have to get you out of here!" With Danny's ghostly powers, we managed to get the boat in the water, and he carried me down into it. Eric, Dimitri, and Jim followed closely behind. The storm finally hit right as the males tried to row the boat away from the ship.

* * *

By the time Silver had managed to limp his way back up on deck, Jim was out of sight. "Change of plans," he shouted out catching Rourke's, Helga's, Smee's, and Hook's attention, "Kill the crew and grab the girl." The villains grabbed pistols and swords and began to attack the others on the ship. John Rolfe, John Smith, Amelia, Marina, and Proteus fought back, while the others kind of stood back, being unable to fight.

"Make sure Miss Chanson is safe!" Captain Amelia cried out to her followers, "We mustn't let any of these bloody traitors near her!"

In the midst of all this fighting, Silver saw Aralyne being taken off the ship by the halfa, Danny.

(In case you're wondering, Dimitri is from the movie Anastasia.)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

_(Song in this chapter is "Part of Your World Reprise" from the movie "The Little Mermaid".)_

With the waves tossing us around like a rollercoaster, Eric and Danny sat protectively beside me. Eric had one arm wrapped around my shoulders, while Danny held onto my hand. That left Jim and Dimitri to try and control the boat. A huge wave came out of nowhere and splashed over us, and I shut my eyes as I choked on the salty water. When I had opened my eyes again, all of us were soaked, and… someone was missing.

"Where's Dimitri?!" I yelled over the storm. The rest of the males looked around, but we couldn't find him anywhere. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. _Did someone just die trying to save me?_

* * *

Ariel had been trying to swim home before the storm got worse when she saw a human body drift down towards the ocean floor. It was a man clearly unconscious. Never one to swim away from a soul who needs help, she swam up to the man and grasped him by the arms, dragging him back up to the surface. Making sure his head stayed above water as much as possible, the mermaid swam him over to a nearby island. By the time she had gotten there, and dragged him onto shore, the storm had moved on.

"Come on," she said after she had laid him out on the sand, "Wake up. I can hear you breathing." As she stared down at him, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. Brushing his hair out of his face, she began to sing:

_"What would I give to live where you are?_

_What would I pay to stay here beside you?_

_What would I do to see you smiling at me?_

_Where would we walk?_

_Where would we run,_

_If we could stay all day in the sun_

_Just you and me and I could be_

_Part of your world."_

Dimitri's eyes fluttered open at her singing and his sight was a little blurry as he gazed upon a beautiful girl with long – what seemed to be – dark hair. She turned her head to the side as if something had caught her attention, and she suddenly disappeared from his view.

* * *

When the storm had cleared, our life boat had drifted onto a beach surrounded by jungle. I didn't really notice, nor care; I was too distraught about Dimitri falling overboard.

"He's gone!" I sobbed, "And it's my fault!"

"Hey, Aralyne," said Danny trying to stem the flow of tears, "No, it's not. It was an accident."

"But, the villains were after _me!_ He just _drowned_ helping me escape!" I covered my face and rocked back and forth on my seat. A pair of arms pulled me to the side and I found myself in Eric's embrace.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured holding the back of my head as I wept into his torso.

"Unless we want to be dragged back out into the sea," said Jim, "I suggest we get out of the boat and pull it more inland."

Eric lifted me up into his arms and carried me onto the beach depositing me on the sand. Danny used his powers to pull the lifeboat away from the tide.

"Enough is enough, Aralyne!" Jim suddenly yelled at me, "Get ahold of yourself!" I blinked up at him thoroughly surprised and actually stopped my wailing.

"Don't you _dare_ talk to her that way!" Eric growled at him his hand forming into a fist.

"Yeah, show some respect!" Danny agreed, "Can't you see she's upset? Or are you too stupid to notice?"

Ignoring them, Jim came up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders looking into my eyes. "Listen to me, Aralyne," he said, "We washed up onto this beach, right?" I nodded, "Now what are the odds that Dimitri is somewhere out here, too? Pull yourself together, and we can go out and search for him." I wiped the tears from my eyes and allowed Jim to pull me up to my feet. "Now, I don't know about you, but I think finding Dimitri would be a whole lot faster if we split up into groups."

"I'll be with Aralyne," Eric automatically said, taking my hand. Danny scowled at him.

"Alright, let's go," Jim said with a nod.

We split up walking in different directions, Eric and I heading east, and Danny and Jim heading west. After several minutes of searching the beach Eric and I spotted a figure in the sand. It was Dimitri, and there was a girl with him. "Dimitri!"

I sighed in relief and ran towards them. Eric followed closely behind. I looked down at my feet long enough to not trip over anything, but when I glanced back up, the girl that had been with Dimitri was gone. Not really caring that the girl had disappeared, I reached Dimitri's side to find him coming to.

"Aralyne?" he said when I had fallen to my knees beside him.

"Dimitri, are you okay?" I inquired nearly in tears again.

"Did you save me?" he asked blinking at me in confusion.

"No," I replied shaking my head, "We just found you here. Someone else must have saved you, but whoever it was is gone now."

"We?" he said rubbing his head.

"Me and Eric," I explained, "We were searching the beach for you."

"And where are the others?"

"Also searching for you," Eric replied, "Come on, let's go find them." He helped Dimitri up to his feet as I scrambled to mine. Together, Eric and I supported Dimitri down the beach in search of Jim and Danny.

* * *

Ariel was sitting on a boulder out in the ocean watching the humans walk down the beach together. She smiled at Dimitri and began to sing once again:

_"I don't know when_

_I don't know how_

_But I know something's starting right now_

_Watch and you'll see_

_Someday I'll be_

_Part of your world"_

* * *

"So where exactly are we?" said Danny as he and Jim trekked through the jungle. While they were searching the beach, it suddenly dropped down at a cliff before continuing on. Danny had refused to carry Jim down off the cliff so they decided to cut a path through the jungle.

"How the hell should I know?" Jim muttered pushing aside some vegetation.

The boys heard a rustling sound nearby and exchanged wary glances. Danny transformed into Phantom right as Jim pulled aside some giant palm tree leaves.

"Excuse me," said a figure jumping out from behind the leaves. Danny and Jim jumped back screaming before realizing they were staring at a girl about fifteen years old with long black hair pulled into a ponytail and blue eyes. She gave them a look that plainly said _Are you serious?_

The girl then giggled and said, "You don't have to be scared of me. I won't hurt you."

Danny quickly replied, "Scared? I wasn't scared! But I'm pretty sure you terrified my friend here."

Jim glared at him. "Oh, please. You were screaming like a little girl!"

"Guys?" said the girl sensing an argument starting.

"I was only screaming to make you feel better," Danny informed his companion.

"Guys!" the girl said raising her voice slightly.

"Yeah right. Some hero you are! The great halfa afraid of a _girl!_" Jim retaliated.

"GUYS!" the girl finally shouted gaining there attention. She giggled again. "Hi, I'm Melody!"

"The name's Danny," said Danny then nodded towards his companion, "And this is Jim."

"What are two doing here in Neverland?" Melody inquired looking between the two boys.

"We got washed up here during a storm," Jim replied, "And we're looking for someone…. _Two_ someone's actually."

"Maybe I can help you guys look for them?" Melody suggested.

* * *

"Danny! Jim!" I shouted out as Dimitri, Eric and I searched for our friends. We had followed their tracks on the beach but then they disappeared inside the jungle. "Danny! Where are you?! Jim?!" They stepped out from behind some vegetation and were followed by a girl. I tilted my head to the side as I stared down at her bare feet. That didn't seem right for some reason.

"You found Dimitri," said Jim, "Good! Now we can go look for Sinbad!"

"Who is this?" Eric inquired staring at the girl.

"Her name's Melody," Danny replied, "She said she would help us find Dimitri and Sinbad."

"Hi," I said smiling at her, "My name's Aralyne. We would be grateful for your help."

"Well, there's only one person I can think of that knows everyone on this island. Follow me!" Melody exclaimed running through the jungle. We followed her as best we could without falling too far behind. She disappeared from our view after a while, but she couldn't have been far since we still heard her voice. "There you are, Peter!"

We broke through the jungle into a small clearing. On the ground beside Melody were a group of young boys dressed as animals, but her gaze was focused on something up in the air. I glanced up to see three boys and two girls flying up in the air. I quickly realized who they were, especially the boy with red hair dressed in green. I gasped out, "_Peter Pan?!_"

Peter gave me a confused look before grinning. "That's me!" Up in the air I could see Wendy and Jane Darling glare at me. Peter suddenly swooped down circled me and caught me around the waist taking me up into the sky. He tossed me up into the air and floated on his back. I landed on his knees with my feet and tried to keep my balance so that I wouldn't fall.

"Whoa!" I stammered staring down at him.

"Hey!" Eric shouted color rising into his cheeks, "Bring her back down!"

"He's only playing around with her," said Slightly, the Lost Boy dressed as a fox.

"She could get hurt!" Danny added looking ready to come to my rescue if necessary.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Wendy's glare deepen. She flew towards us and pushed me off of Peter. I fell towards the ground, a scream getting caught in my throat. Both Peter and Danny came for me at the same time. Peter flew underneath me and I landed on his back with a grunt before wrapping my arms around his neck. Danny scowled at Peter.

When I had managed to breathe again, I growled into Peter's ear, "She did that on purpose!"

"She's just jealous," Peter said with a shrug taking me to the ground, "All girls get like that around me."

I blushed, not daring to comment on that statement. When he had set me back down on the ground, Danny and Eric automatically came up to me demanding if I was okay. "I'm fine," I said my gaze still upon Peter. The child winked at me making me flush even more.

Peter then flew around Melody and asked, "So, what can I do for you, Mel?"

Melody giggled and Peter earned a scowl from Jim, which surprised me. "My friends need your help," said Melody, "They said they're looking for someone named Sinbad. Have you ever heard of anyone by that name?"

Peter scratched his head in thought. "Well, no, I've never heard of that name. But I do know that people occasionally wash up on Neverland's shore. This one grown up did several years ago."

"Grown up?" said Jim becoming alert, "Who?"

"We don't know his name," said Nibs, the Lost Boy dressed as a rabbit.

"He's an adult," added John Darling, "We don't talk to adults."

"Yeah, they spoil all our fun!" said Cubby, the Lost boy dressed as a bear.

"And they ruin it, too!" piped up Michael Darling. My gaze fell upon the youngest Lost Boy dragging around his teddy bear and wearing pink footie pajamas. I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing. He is just _too adorable!_

I lifted him up into my arms, and gave him a hug. "Adults aren't all bad," I said.

Wendy suddenly gave me a suspicious glare and took Michael away from me. "Just how old are all of you?"

Melody frowned at her. "Wendy, that's very rude!"

"I have to agree with my sister," said Jane folding her arms over her chest, "Besides, I don't think Peter would want to help any adults!"

Eric spoke up first, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, we'll tell you our ages. I'm eighteen."

"Fifteen," Jim spoke up.

"Fourteen," Danny said.

"Twenty," said Dimitri, earning himself a hiss from the children.

"He's almost an adult!" cried The Twins who were dressed as raccoons.

I could feel my heart sink. If this was their reaction to Dimitri's age, how would they treat me?

"And you?" Wendy asked glaring at me. She was really starting to annoy the hell out of me, and I had to refrain myself from slapping her across the face!

"Well," said Peter circling me again, "She's as tall as you and Jane, so she can't be any older than twelve years old." I felt myself redden again. One thing I was very sensitive about is how old I look. Most people mistake me for being somewhere between twelve and sixteen because of how short I am, and I have a _very_ young-looking face.

"Actually," I said quietly lowering my gaze, "I'm –" I looked up to see Jim's desperate pleading eyes fixed on me. Let's face it, the children wouldn't help Dimitri, and I could tell Jim, Danny, and Eric were pushing the age limit at being teens, so I did what I thought was right to find Sinbad: I lied about my age. "I'm twelve and a half."

"It's settled, then!" Peter proclaimed landing before me and placing his fists upon his hips, "We'll help Melody, and her friend" (meaning me and not the boys) "find this Sinbad person!" Jim gave me a thankful nod.

"Oh, Peter, thank you!" I exclaimed, then felt myself go red once more. "I should like to give you… a… kiss."

"What's a kiss?" Peter inquired, confused scratching his head.

Wendy and Jane fumed at me. Ignoring them, I gave Peter a quick peck on the cheek, earning some scowls from Eric and Danny.

Melody giggled and took hold of Jim's hand. "Well, come on, then! Let's go find Sinbad!" We all left the clearing to search for Jim's brother, with Danny and Eric hovering beside me each step of the way.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The heroes on Captain Amelia's ship had defeated the villains, and made them walk the plank. Once the last villain had been kicked off the ship, Captain Amelia turned to Milo and said, "Mr. Thatch, set a course to find Miss Chanson and her companions. We have to make sure she's alive. Luong Lao Shi had made it exceptionally clear that she must always be protected."

"Yes, ma'am!" said Milo running off to look at his maps.

"The rest of you, back to work," said the Captain. They all saluted her and returned to their normal jobs, and cut through the ocean in search of their missing passengers. After several hours of sailing, they soon spotted Neverland.

"Land Ho!" shouted out John Rolfe. The heroes anchored the ship, and left Milo, Wilhelmina Packard, and Cookie to watch the ship while the others rowed to Neverland to search the island. Since Mole was good at identifying tracks, he was in the lead and soon found a trail leading to Aralyne and her companions.

* * *

As we travelled through Neverland, I couldn't help but notice Jim and Melody flirting with each other. I had to admit, they made an adorable couple, and I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing like one of those crazy girls that watches/reads the _Twilight_ series. Jim was being quite the gentleman, helping her over tree roots, and holding leaves aside so she could pass, and catching her when she stumbled. I could tell that Danny and Eric were trying to follow his example with me, but since they always got in each other's way, they were constantly fighting, and I had to fight my way through the undergrowth with some help from Dimitri, Peter, and the Lost Boys. The Lost Girls, on the other hand, were still showing me some hostility, which I gladly ignored.

After we cut through some mega-thick vegetation, we heard splashing and soon found ourselves at a lagoon filled with mermaids.

"Peter, what are we doing at Mermaid Lagoon?" I inquired, both fascinated, and slightly annoyed as I watched the she-fish play in the water.

The mermaids looked our way and all smiled. "Hello, Peter!" said one mermaid waving at him. Those two words echoed around us about a dozen times, and I swear if I heard that phrase one more time, I'd go crazy! They swam up to us and perched on rocks around Peter Pan.

"What brings you way out here to our side of the island?" asked the blonde mermaid giving Peter a flirtatious smile. Jane, Wendy, Melody, and I scowled at her. I wanted to kick her back into the water!

"Sorry, ladies," said Peter, "We were just looking for someone."

The mermaids suddenly realized the rest of us were present and their eyes widened at the sight of Jim, Dimitri, Eric, and Danny.

"Look! More boys!" exclaimed a redheaded mermaid moving closer to Jim. She reached out and grabbed his leg. "Come on in and swim with us!"

Melody suddenly stepped forward, and pushed the mermaid away from Jim. "Leave him alone," she growled.

The redhead gave her a malicious smile. "Why, Melody, dear, we haven't seen you in _ages!_ How's life on land treating you? Are you enjoying those legs?"

"Shut up!" Melody said turning pink and glaring at her. The mermaid laughed and suddenly splashed Melody. A green light swirled around Melody and she was lifted up into the air, a look of panic on her face. We all watched in amazement as her legs turned into a pair of pink fins, and she landed in the water. "N-No!" she stammered, staring down at her tail. Then she glanced back up at Jim whose eyes were wide in surprise. Melody burst into tears before diving into the water and swimming out of sight.

"Melody, wait!" Jim shouted out and running around the edge of the lagoon to try and follow her. He soon disappeared from our sight.

"Jim!" I called out to him in worry.

"What just happened?" said Dimitri.

"She's a mermaid?" Eric said in surprise.

"Of course she is," said Jane as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Making up my mind, I ran after Jim, calling out his name.

"Aralyne!" I heard Danny and Eric yell after me.

* * *

"Melody!" Jim called out still searching for his new friend. He soon found her sitting on a beach alone, crying as the waves washed over her tail. "Melody," he said softly sitting beside her. She jumped and looked up at him.

"Jim!" she said, then turned away from him. "Okay, I know I'm a freak! I'm half mermaid and half human! If you came to tease me about it, then go away!"

"Mel," he said gently grabbing her chin, and turning her head so that she faced him. He wiped a tear away with his thumb. "I don't care that you're a mermaid, in fact, I think it's cool."

"Don't lie to me!" she sobbed, pulling away from him.

Jim gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you think I would honestly waste my time looking for you just to torment you? You were upset, and I wanted to see if you were okay. I really do think it's cool that you're a mermaid. And in case you haven't noticed, one of the people I'm travelling with isn't exactly normal. Danny is half ghost. No one is going to judge you, and if they do, I'll beat the crap out of them. So, what do you say? Will you come back with me?"

Melody wiped away her tears and stared at him for a while, then smiled and nodded. "Okay, I trust you," she said. She crawled away from the waves until the water could no longer reach her. Within a few seconds, her tail transformed back into feet, and the two teens stood up.

"Come on," Jim said with a grin taking her hand and running through Neverland to find the search group.

* * *

As I ran through the island searching for Melody and Jim, I made a sharp turn to avoid a rock wall, but slammed into a body. I fell over backwards, but before I could hit the ground a pair of arms caught me from behind. "Jim, Melody," I said gaping up at them; they both had smiles on their faces.

"Sorry, Aralyne," said Jim, "Didn't mean to knock you over."

"It's fine," I said, then peeked over my shoulder to see who had caught me. It was Danny. "Thanks, Danny."

"Anything for you, Aralyne," he said with a wink, causing me to blush.

Standing up on my own, I asked Jim and Melody, "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is just fine," Jim said, "We had a little talk, and now we're ready to go!" Melody beamed up at him.

"Okay," I said, not wanting to pry into their personal business. I turned around to see that the Lost Boys and Lost Girls were no longer with us. "Where did they go?" Dimitri, Danny, and Eric exchanged glances before shrugging.

"We found someone!" we heard Peter shout out. Then out of the trees, came Tootles, the Lost Boy dressed as a skunk. Being mute, he just grabbed my hand and pulled me through the jungle with the others following closely behind. We soon entered a clearing to find the Lost Boys, and Lost Girls surrounding a man with brown hair and facial hair. He was staring down at the children in surprise.

"_SINBAD!_" Jim shouted out. the man looked up from the children and his eyes widened at the sight of us.

"Jim?" he said in disbelief. Jim released Melody's hand, and ran towards his brother. The two males embraced, and I could feel tears forming in my eyes. I was missing my brother, too.

"Sinbad, what happened to you?" Jim asked once he had pulled away from his brother.

"I thought you were dead," said Eric stepping forward, and clapping Sinbad on the shoulder in greeting.

"After the storm had hit, I washed up here on the island and I've been living here ever since. The rest of the crew had died. Except for you," Sinbad said staring at Eric, "How did you manage to survive?"

"Washed up near the village, thankfully," Eric replied, "It's good to have you back."

Dimitri, and Danny went to go talk to Sinbad, and Melody and I finally introduced ourselves to him. Peter and his crew still refused to talk to any of the adults.

"I have found them!" we heard a voice with a French accent say. Then coming out of the trees was Mole followed by everyone else that had been on the ship, except Milo, Cookie, and Packard.

"Well done, Mr. Molière," said Captain Amelia in approval. Everyone rushed forward to greet Sinbad.

After Sinbad had retold what happened to the crew, we had also explained what had happened while we were on the island. Captain Amelia was giving out orders to return to the ship and head out, when the Darling children stepped forward.

"Please, ma'am," said Wendy, "Might we return with you?"

"What?!" Peter and the Lost Boys shouted out at once. Peter looked mad and hurt, which caused me to flinch.

"Well, you see, Peter, we really need to get back home," Jane explained as kindly as possible.

"Yes, we've been gone a really long time," added John Darling.

Michael sniffled as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I want to see my mother," he declared.

"Oh," I said placing a hand to my mouth trying not to tear up as well. I hated seeing children cry! "Michael," I said lifting him up into my arms. He clung to me and wept onto my shoulder.

"Very well, then," said Captain Amelia with a nod, "We head out at once."

"Fine," Peter said in a cold tone, "Go on! Go back and grow up! But, I'm warning you! Once you're grown up, you can never come back! Never!" He jumped into the air and flew off.

"Peter," Jane, Wendy, and I said staring after him.

"And the rest of you children?" asked the Captain looking at the Lost Boys, "Will you be joining us, or will you stay here?"

"We'll stay," said Slightly, then he and the rest of the Lost Boys ran off into the jungle.

"I'd like to go along, too," Melody spoke up, "But I need to clear things with my father first."

"I'm afraid we don't have time to wait," said John Smith.

"That's all right," Melody said with a smile, "You can go on ahead without me. I'll catch up later."

"How?" inquired Audrey, "Do you have some sort of motorboat or something?"

Melody giggled, "I have my ways." She waved before disappearing into the jungle.

We all made our way to the ship, me still carrying Michael Darling. After we boarded the ship, and began sailing back to the village, I set Michael down on his feet, and he ran off to go explore with his brother. The Darling sisters were both leaning over the rail of the ship and gazing at Neverland. "I'll always believe in you, Peter Pan," they said simultaneously.

It wasn't long until Melody swam up to the ship and boarded, saying her father allowed her to come with us.

* * *

After several days of sailing, we finally arrived back to Nesidy. Everyone on the ship was glad to be returning and cheered. Danny, Jim, Melody, the Darlings, and I were standing at the edge of the ship watching the port come ever closer. Once we had docked, and we had left the ship, we met up with Mrs. Hawkins and Delbert.

"Oh, Jim," she said hugging her son, "You had me so worried! And taking Aralyne along with you!" She released him and hugged me, which startled me.

"Hello, Mom," Sinbad said from behind me. Mrs. Hawkins pulled away from me, and stared at her oldest son with wide eyes.

"Sinbad," she whispered, then ran into his arms, "You're alive!"

The news of Sinbad's return quickly spread throughout the village and many people arrived to meet him. As he was swarmed by his friends, Jim finally took hold of Melody's hand and introduced her to his mother. Mrs. Hawkins said the mermaid was welcome to stay with us, and I now got a roommate.

Grandpa Lao Shi stepped forward, and said, "Welcome back, Sinbad. We must celebrate your return."

"Thank you, Grandpa," said Sinbad with a grateful smile. The crowd cheered and dispersed to get everything set up for a big party.

I was beginning to wonder about the Darling Children, and when I turned to look for them, I saw them run towards a man and a woman, screaming in delight.

"Mother!"

"Mummy!"

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

They had found their parents, and I smiled, wishing I could go home as easily as they were able to. Shaking my head to get rid of that depressing thought, I turned to Melody.

"Come on, Mel," I said, "I want to show you our room." Jim, Melody, and I raced towards the Benbow Inn.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

_(Song in this chapter is "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler)_

The celebration for Sinbad's return was huge! Melody and I had changed clothes just for the occasion. I now wore one of Cinderella's dresses. It was a powder-blue color with pink trimming and off the shoulder with long sleeves. Melody, on the other hand, wore a frilly pink dress, which looked really good on her. We met Jim, Sinbad, and Mrs. Hawkins downstairs before going out to the party. We were soon surrounded by Aladdin, Jasmine, five other males, and two females. One by one, I began to recognize them: Flynn Ryder, Kassim – Aladdin's and Jasmine's father – Tulio, Fagin (and his five dogs: Dodger, Rita, Francis, Einstein, and Tito), Dave the Barbarian and his sisters Fang (who looked like a monkey, although I wasn't going to say that out loud), and Candy.

"Sinbad!" Kassim boomed out with a giant grin plastered on his face. He clapped Sinbad on the shoulder. "Glad to have you back!" Dodger, Rita, Francis, Einstein, and Tito tackled Sinbad to the ground and licked his face. I laughed at the spectacle, but became wary when the dogs turned their attention towards me. It's not that I don't like dogs, but every time I get near one, I find either pee or vomit on me somewhere. The dogs circled me and sniffed me before grinning.

"It's all right, they don't bite," said Fagin stroking Einstein's head. I reached out and petted each dog in turn.

I looked up to see Flynn Rider staring at me, then he took hold of my hand, and said in a suave tone, "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say," his tone changed making him sound a bit arrogant, "Hi. How ya doin'? The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day goin'? Huh?"

Biting my lip, I snorted, before I burst out laughing, even Melody began giggling.

"Ignore him," said Candy making Flynn release me, "He always flirts with girls." Turning away from Flynn, I found myself gazing up into the piercing blue eyes of Tulio. He stared down at me with one eyebrow cocked up.

"So, Sinbad, what happened to you?" Fang demanded kicking some dirt with her bare foot.

As Sinbad began telling his tale, grabbing everyone's attention, Jim took hold of mine and Melody's hands. "Come on," he said, "Let's go have some fun!" We ran off into a giant crowd where the party was starting. There was music, and dancing, and eating, and singing, and games.

"Oo! Let's dance!" Melody exclaimed nodding her head to the beat. Jim let us go, and the three of us began dancing.

"Mind if I join?" said a familiar voice, as someone grabbed my hand and spun me around. It was Danny. I grinned and motioned for him to jump into the group. I laughed, truly enjoying myself! As I looked about the crowd, I saw Eric nearby, watching – well, staring, is more like it. I motioned him over with a finger, and he grinned coming our way. Grabbing his hand, I dragged him into the group to dance with us, to Danny's disappointment.

"Okay," said a voice from a speaker, as the music stopped for a moment. No longer dancing, I turned to see a stage where Miguel was standing and speaking into a microphone. "Someone has requested that our visitor, Aralyne, should sing a song." I froze as a spotlight from the stage found me in the crowd. _Sing? In front of this many people?_

"Go on, Aralyne!" someone shouted. Then the crowd began chanting my name. "Aralyne! Aralyne! Aralyne!" Falling to the pressure, I ran towards the stage, and Miguel helped me up onto the stage. I stared out at the crowd and nearly puked on the stage. _Too many people!_ Miguel gave me the microphone and jumped back down onto the ground, leaving me alone. I soon spotted Eric who smiled at me and gave me the thumbs up. _I can do this!_

"H-Hi," I said in a shaky voice, "Um, I guess I'll sing now." I quickly wracked my brain for a song and finally decided on one. Focusing on the lyrics, I began:

_"Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?_

_Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?"_

Out in the crowd, I spotted Hercules and winked at him. The crowd began to clap to the beat and I started dancing.

_"Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

_Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night._

_He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light._

_He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life!_

_Larger than life."_

My gaze roved over everyone until I spotted Ella in Sinbad's arms. I grinned down at them glad that at least someone had found their hero.

_"Somewhere after midnight in my wildest fantasy_

_Somewhere just beyond my reach there's someone reaching back for me._

_Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

_It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night._

_He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light._

_He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night."_

Jasmine, Esmeralda, Snow White, and Aurora jumped on stage and began dancing behind me.

_"Up where the mountains meet the heavens above_

_Out where the lightning splits the sea_

_I could swear there is someone somewhere watching me._

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain and the storm and the flood_

_I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood."_

The girls repeated the last six words: _"Like a fire in my blood. Like a fire in my blood. Like a fire in my blood. Like a fire in my blood."_

_"I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night._

_He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light._

_He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night._

_He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light._

_He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life._

_I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night."_

As the girls "_Oo_"-ed at the end of the song, Eric suddenly jumped on stage swooped me into his arms, and kissed me full on the lips.

The whole crowd burst out cheering, I didn't know if it was from my singing, or because Eric just kissed me in public. And I had to admit, for my first kiss (yes, my _first_ kiss), it was nice. I pulled away and looked out into the crowd. My gaze landed on Danny, who stared at me, stunned. He suddenly frowned, his eyes flashing green, and he turned into his Phantom form before flying off into the night. I felt my gut drop in guilt. Extracting myself from Eric's arms, I ran to the edge of the stage, my eyes still on the spot where Danny had flown off. "Danny!" I called out in despair. He wouldn't have been able to hear me over the noise of the crowd. I jumped off the stage, and shoved my way through the crowd in the direction I had seen Danny disappear. Once I had left the party, I was in a dark part of the village, the lights and noise about a block behind me. "Danny?!" I yelled out again, hoping he hadn't gone too far.

"Way to go, Aralyne. I've never seen my cousin so upset before," said a female voice making me jump in surprise. Out of the shadows stepped a girl with black hair and blue eyes wearing a beanie and a sweatshirt.

"Dani?" I said in surprise, "Where's Danny? Please, I need to talk to him."

"He's up on the roof," she said nodding at the building beside us, "Sulking. You're really sorry, aren't you?" I nodded feeling like I was ready to cry. She sighed and took my hand. "I'll take you up there." Turning into her Phantom form, she flew me up onto the roof before leaving me alone with her cousin. He was sitting at the edge of the roof, his white hair glowing in the moonlight.

"Danny," I said sitting beside him, "I –"

He cut me off, "You enjoyed it, didn't you?" He looked at me with hurt eyes. "The kiss?"

I sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you. Yes, I did."

"Do you like him?" he demanded.

"Danny –"

"_Do you like him?_"

"I suppose. He's sweet, and brave."

"So, you'll go out with him, and not me?"

"Danny, it's not like that, I swear," I said placing a hand on his shoulder, "I wasn't planning on starting any romantic relationship with anyone. It would be very difficult to handle when I return to my real world. Believe me when I say, if the circumstances were different, I would choose you over Eric. I turned you down, because, I'm _five_ years older than you. I'm _nineteen_ years old, even though I don't look it, and you're only fourteen. In my world, dating someone who is younger than eighteen is a crime, so I don't look at any guy romantically unless he is eighteen or older. I'm really, truly sorry for hurting you, and I didn't mean to. I hope we can still be friends?"

He returned his gaze to the party several blocks away. For a while I was afraid he wasn't going to answer, but he finally looked at me and smiled. Taking my hand, he said, "Friends."

"Thanks, Danny," I said giving him a hug.

"And don't think this doesn't mean I won't be around to protect you anymore," he said into my ear.

I laughed. "Believe me I wouldn't have it any other way!"

We separated and stood up. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he flew us back to the party.

* * *

At the bottom of the ocean, in the palace of Atlantica, Ariel's sisters were in their dressing room. Andrina floated near the door way leading to their bedroom, and said, "Ariel, dear, time to come out. You've been in there all morning."

Ariel came out of the bedroom with a dreamy look upon her face as she hummed.

As Ariel sat before a mirror, Attina said, "What is with her lately?"

Attina, Adella, Andrina, and Aquata surrounded Ariel and watched her mess with her red hair in the mirror. Ariel then picked up a pink flower, and swam off, slamming into King Triton.

"Oh!" she said in surprise tucking the flower behind his ear, "Morning, Daddy." Ariel then swam off singing.

Ariel's sisters and King Triton stared after her in surprise.

"Oh, she's got it bad," Attina remarked.

"What?" asked King Triton oblivious turning to the rest of his daughters, "What has she got?"

"Isn't it obvious, Daddy?" said Andrina with a dreamy expression, "Ariel's in love."

"Ariel?" said King Triton removing the flower from behind his ear and gazing at it, "in love?"

Ariel swam around the ocean for a while, thinking of Dimitri and finally sat down upon a rock staring up at the vastness above her. "Oh, if only I could go back up and see him again!" she moaned. "It's so unfair that Melody got to go up to shore and have an adventure, and I'm a year older than her!"

"Poor child," said an eerie voice, and Ariel turned to see a couple of eels swimming towards her. It was Flotsam, and Jetsam, and it was Flotsam that had spoken. They began to circle her.

"Poor, sweet child," added Jetsam.

Flotsam then said, "She has a very serious problem."

Jetsam added, "If only there were something we could do."

"But there is something," said Flotsam.

Ariel recoiled from the eels and said, "Who – who are you?"

Jetsam grinned at her. "Don't be scared."

"We represent someone who could make all your dreams come true," said Flotsam.

Then the eels said at once, "Just imagine –"

Jetsam said, "You and your prince –"

They spoke together again, "Together, forever…."

"I don't understand," Ariel said gazing at them warily.

"Ursula and Morgana have great powers," said Jetsam.

Ariel blinked at them astounded. "The sea witches? Why, that's – I couldn't possibly –no! Get out of here! Leave me alone!"

"Suit yourself," said Flotsam with a slight shrug.

Jetsam added, "It was only a suggestion."

As they began swimming away, Ariel gazed back up towards the surface for a moment. She suddenly turned back towards the eels. "Wait."

They came to a halt and exchanged malicious glances before facing her, "Yeeeeeeeeeess?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

_(Song in this chapter is one of my fave villain songs! "Poor Unfortunate Soul". Had to make a few alterations though.)_

Flotsam and Jetsam took Ariel to Ursula's and Morgana's lair. To the mermaid, it looked like some ancient creature had died, and its skeleton had dropped down into the ocean. The floor of the ocean was emitting what looked like steam. Ariel came to a halt and pulled away somewhat.

The eels were at the entrance and said to her, "This way."

Taking a deep breath, Ariel followed them inside. They were in a tunnel and all along the walls and floor were odd looking plants with faces. She gazed upon them with disgust and shivered. One actually reached out and grabbed her wrist, trying to prevent her from moving forward. Ariel gasped and tugged herself free, keeping out of reach of any other moving creatures.

"Come in. Come in, my child," said a voice, and Ariel turned to see the eels had disappeared, but she was now at the entrance of a giant room "We mustn't lurk in doorways - it's rude." The sea witches had emerged from the shadows, and it was Morgana that had spoken. Ariel entered the room nervously.

"One _might_ question your upbringing," Ursula added sitting before a mirror. "Now, then. You're here because you have a thing for this human." She did her hair a bit. "Not that we blame you - he is quite a catch, isn't he?" Ursula began applying lipstick.

"Well, angel fish," said Morgana, "the solution to your problem is simple. The only way to get what you want - is to become a human yourself."

Ariel gasped and eyed the witches, "Can you _do_ that?"

Ursula gave an evil sneer before turning away from the mirror and said, "My dear, sweet child. That's what we do - it's what we _live_ for. To help unfortunate merfolk - like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to." She began to sing as she prepared the potion:

_"We admit that in the past we've been nasty_

_They weren't kidding when they called us, well, a witch_

_But you'll find that nowadays_

_We've mended all our ways_

_Repented, seen the light and made a switch_

_True? Yes_

_And we fortunately know a little magic_

_It's a talent that we always have possessed_

_And here lately, please don't laugh_

_We use it on behalf_

_Of the miserable, lonely and depressed_

_(Pathetic)_

_Poor unfortunate souls_

_In pain_

_In need_

_This one longing to be thinner_

_That one wants to get the girl_

_And do we help them?_

_Yes, indeed_

_Those poor unfortunate souls_

_So sad_

_So true_

_They come flocking to my cauldron_

_Crying, "Spells, witches please!"_

_And we help them?_

_Yes, we do_

_Now it's happened once or twice_

_Someone couldn't pay the price_

_And I'm afraid we had to rake 'em 'cross the coals_

_Yes, we've had the odd complaint_

_But on the whole we've been saints_

_To those poor unfortunate souls"_

"Now, here's the deal," said Morgana, "We will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days. Now listen, this is important. Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get someone to switch places with you as a mermaid. If you can get that person into the ocean before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human, permanently, but - if that person doesn't enter the ocean, you turn back into a mermaid, and - you belong to us. Have we got a deal?"

"If I become human," said Ariel quietly, "I'll never be with my parents or sisters again."

"That's right," said Ursula in mock surprise then gave Ariel another evil sneer, "But - you'll have your man. Life's full of tough choices, innit? Oh - and there is one more thing. The person you must get into the ocean is a girl by the name of Aralyne."

Morgana used her magic bubble to conjure up an image of Aralyne who was talking with Eric and laughing. Ariel recognized her right away as the girl that had been with Dimitri, and felt guilty. "But, what'll happen to the girl when she becomes a mermaid?" Ariel inquired.

"Does it really matter?" Morgana inquired, "It's either she trades places with you so that you can have your man, or you remain a mermaid miserable for the rest of your life."

Ursula conjured up a contract and pen and began to sing again:

_"You poor unfortunate soul_

_It's sad_

_But true_

_If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet_

_You've got to pay the toll_

_Take a gulp and take a breath_

_And go ahead and sign the scroll!_

_(Flotsam, Jetsam, now I've got her boys!)_

_The boss is on a roll_

_This poor unfortunate soul."_

Making up her mind with a determined look, Ariel grasped the pen, and signed the contract. Ursula and Morgana began to laugh maniacally as a bubble surrounded Ariel and she transformed into a human.

* * *

Ariel found herself sitting in shallow water leaning against a boulder. She pushed her hair out of her face, and her gaze landed upon her brand new legs. Her eyes widened with a gasp. "It worked!" she exclaimed lifting one leg out of the water and wiggled her toes, "I'm human!" Biting her lip, she got to her feet, and wobbled for a moment, before tumbling into the water. "Wow, this is a lot harder than it looks," she mused. She stood up once again, and this time managed to keep her balance. Now able to stand, she picked some seaweed out of her hair. Grabbing hold of the boulders protruding from the water, she slowly walked towards shore, wobbling the whole way. The first thing she found on the beach was what appeared to be a torn sail from a ship next to some discarded pieces of wood and some rope. She turned the sail into a make-shift dress using the rope as a belt to hold it in place. When finished, she sat down on a boulder wondering where she might start looking for Dimitri.

* * *

Dimitri was wandering the beach thinking of the mysterious girl that had saved his life. "Well, whoever she is," he thought out loud, "She's probably still over in Neverland." He walked past the boulders and was surprised to see a young girl sitting on a boulder. He came to a halt.

Ariel's eyes widened when she saw him, and she quickly pulled her hair to the side nervously twisting it.

"Are you, okay, Miss?" Dimitri inquired walking towards her. He noticed the rags she wore, and wondered what could have happened. Dimitri stopped before her and she leaned forward with a big smile. "You seem very familiar to me," he said with a slight frown, "Have we met?"

"Uh-huh," she said nodding her head, "I'm the one that saved your life during the storm. My name's Ariel."

"You?" he said in surprise, "You're the one that saved my life?"

"Uh-huh! You see, I was out swimming, and I saw you go under water. I became scared, and dove down to get you, and –" As she was talking, she was using her hands to illustrate the picture, lost her balance and fell off the boulder.

"Whoa, whoa, careful," Dimitri said catching her by the waist. Ariel wrapped her arms around him to keep from tumbling even more. "Careful – easy." They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. "Gee, you must have really been through something. Don't worry. Don't worry, I'll help you." He began to lead her down the beach. "Come on. Come on, you'll be okay."

* * *

To be honest, I felt bad about staying at the Benbow Inn without paying for a room, so after I had gotten dressed (in Snow White's dress) I went down to speak to Mrs. Hawkins.

"Mrs. Hawkins," I said as I watched her serve breakfast.

"Yes, Aralyne?" she said running from one table to the next.

"Well, I don't feel right staying here with you without paying, so I thought I might earn my keep instead. May I have a job here, if there are any openings?"

She paused and stared at me in surprise before smiling. "Of course. My cooks could always use a little extra help in the kitchens. The boys won't do it, of course, they believe it offends their manliness."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hawkins," I said with a grateful smile, "I'll head over right away and –"

There was some loud commotion going on outside that grabbed everyone's attention, and we all left the inn to see what was going on. A large crowd had formed, and I moved my way towards the front to see Dimitri helping a girl through the streets. She was very pretty, and I was admittedly jealous of her long red hair.

"_Ariel?_" Melody gasped from beside me. The redhead looked up at her name being mentioned and gazed at Melody.

"Mel?" said Ariel blinking at her in surprise.

"You know her?" Grandpa Lao Shi asked Melody.

"She's my sister," Melody replied, then asked Ariel, "How did you get here? And _what_ are you doing here?"

"Mom and Dad sent me to look after you," Ariel said, "After all, you're only fifteen."

Melody rolled her eyes. "I'm doing fine, and you're only a year older than me."

"Well, Mrs. Hawkins," said Grandpa, "It looks like you'll be taking in another girl."

"Goodness," said Mrs. Hawkins, "At this rate, my inn will be full. Come along, dear." She motioned for Ariel to follow her. I could tell that Ariel released Dimitri reluctantly and followed Mrs. Hawkins into the inn. Melody and I ran after them, and right behind us I could hear Ella, Esmeralda, Belle, Aurora, Jasmine, and Snow White talk excitedly about giving her some clothes to wear.

* * *

Snow White, Belle, Aurora, Esmeralda, Jasmine, and Ella treated Ariel the same way they had treated me. They were all in her room dressing her up like a Barbie while Jim, Melody, and I stood outside in the hall listening. Mrs. Hawkins had asked Melody if she would like to share a room with Ariel since they are sisters, but Mel had refused and insisted that she stay with me.

"You don't seem very happy to see your sister," Jim observed.

"_Step_sister," Melody said her arms folded over her chest as she leaned against the wall, "I was adopted. As you well know, I'm a freak of nature –" Jim growled at the term – "being half human and half mermaid. My mother, Madison, was a mermaid, and my father, Allen, was human. They were friends with Ariel's parents: Triton and Athena. One day my parents went out, and left me with Ariel's parents for the day. My parents didn't return. They were attacked by a shark." She didn't seem sad or upset revealing this secret, which makes me wonder exactly how young she was when this happened.

"Oh, wow, Mel," said Jim wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "I'm sorry." She shrugged.

At that moment, Mrs. Hawkins arrived. "There you are, Aralyne," she said, "Come on, I'll take you down to the kitchens so that you can meet your new co-workers."

I waved 'bye to my friends and followed her down the stairs, and into the kitchens. Inside were two women – one eighteen, and one nineteen – moving about the room, one cooking, and the other baking.

"Tiana, Rapunzel, meet Aralyne," said Mrs. Hawkins introducing me to the two women.

"Hey there, sugar. Are you any good in the kitchen?" Tiana asked me. She was standing at the stove with a giant pot on the fire. It smelled like gumbo and my mouth started watering.

"Um, no. I burn water. I can't cook to save my life," I replied.

"Nonsense," said a male voice, and a gray rat appeared beside Tiana, "Anyone can cook."

"Ah, yes," said Mrs. Hawkins, "This is our head chef, Remy. There are others working here, too: Colette, Skinner, and Linguini – well, Linguini is really a waiter – but, they're all on vacation at the moment. They should be returning soon."

"I think Skinner is returning today," Rapunzel said taking a pan out of the oven and pushing her long blonde hair out of her face.

"Excellent," said Mrs. Hawkins with a smile, "Good luck, Aralyne." And she left me in the kitchen with the girls and the rat.

"Well," said Tiana, "Stick near me, and I'll be able to teach you a thing or two on cooking."

"Thank you," I said, "But I'd rather not endanger everyone in the inn. I can do dishes, and clean up, though."

Remy pointed me to the sink, and I began to wash the dirty dishes. It wasn't long until we noticed a head poking inside.

"Can we help you?" Rapunzel asked and Ariel stepped inside.

"I was looking for Aralyne," she said almost shyly.

"Yes?" I said wiping my hands dry on a towel.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to go to the beach with me?" she inquired and bit her lip waiting for my answer.

I blinked at her feeling guilty. "I'm sorry," I said, "but, I can't. I'm working right now, and I don't know until how long. Maybe some other day?"

"Oh," she said lowering her head slightly in disappointment, "Okay, then. Some other day." She turned and left.

After Ariel had left, someone else had entered the kitchen; a short man wearing a chef outfit and had a thin mustache. "Vacations need to be longer," he muttered, then looked at me and froze, his eyes widening.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. "Um, hi?" I said almost uncertainly. "My name is Aralyne. I'm new here in the kitchen."

"Aralyne," said Tiana, "May I introduce Chef Skinner."

(Kudos to whoever can name the 1984 mermaid movie Madison and Allen are from)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

_(Song in this chapter is "The Way You Love Me" by Faith Hill)_

"Yes," said Skinner, "I'll be right back. I must make a call." He turned and walked back out of the kitchen.

"That was strange," said Remy as he prepared ingredients to make ratatouille, "Skinner never acts like that. His mind must be somewhere else."

Skinner returned with an odd smile on his face, and he went over to the cabinet, pulling out a bottle of wine and two glasses. "I must welcome our new recruit properly. She will be a very _fine_ addition to our team."

"Thank you," I said with a weak smile, "But I don't drink."

"Come on," said Skinner shaking the bottle, "just one glass."

I looked over at Tiana, Rapunzel, and Remy silently begging for help. But they just motioned me away.

"Go on," said Tiana, "Have yourself a drink. We'll be fine without you for a few minutes."

Skinner grabbed me by the crook of my arm and led me out of the kitchen, and into another room that seemed to be some sort of dressing room to the kitchen workers, and on the opposite wall was a door with an exit sign above it. We sat down in a couple of chairs and he poured some wine into a glass and handed it to me. I stared at the purple liquid with slight distaste. Lifting up the glass, I niffed the wine; it was incredibly sweet. I took a small sip, and the wine burned my throat, but it was _good!_ I had soon chugged down the entire glass. Skinner filled up my glass again, and I drank it all. After about my fourth or fifth glass of wine, my mind got a little fuzzy and everything was unusually shiny.

"How are you feeling?" Skinner inquired with a slight grin.

"I'm… fine!" I said then giggled. "The head chef is a rat! Haha! Rat. Ratta-tatta - Hey, why do they call it that?"

Skinner gave me a funny look and said, "What?"

I replied, "Ratatouille. It's like a stew, right? Why do they call it that? If you're gonna name a food, you should give it a name that sounds delicious. Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like _rat_ and _patootie_. Rat patootie! Which does not sound delicious." I giggled again this time hysterically. The glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor, and I was vaguely aware of falling over before I blacked out….

* * *

Remy heard a crash and a thump and exchanged confused glances with Rapunzel and Tiana.

"What in the world was that?" Rapunzel inquired as they turned their attention to the door Skinner and Aralyne had gone through.

"I'll go check it out," said Remy leaving his station and scampering over to the door. There was a rat hole in the wall that led into the next room. After poking his head into the room, his eyes widened at the sight. Aralyne was unconscious on the floor, and Skinner was leering over her.

The exit door burst open behind Skinner. He turned to see the men he had called over: Honest John, Stromboli, and Sir Ector. They leered down at the girl and laughed maniacally.

"So this is the girl?" said Honest John twirling his cane in his fox hand, "Nice work, Skinner!"

"Yes, I thought having her intoxicated would make it easier to kidnap her," Skinner replied handing Stromboli the wine bottle. Stromboli drank what was left.

Sir Ector lifted up Aralyne's upper body and said, "Help me out here, will you, Honest John." Honest John lifted up her legs and the villains began carrying her out of the Benbow Inn.

Remy ran back into the kitchen and said, "Aralyne is being kidnapped!"

Rapunzel and Tiana exchanged alarmed glances and burst into the next room. The men were caught off guard, especially when Rapunzel hit Stromboli on the back of the head with a frying pan. He fell to the door unconscious.

"Drop her at once!" Tiana said also holding a frying pan. Then she shot Skinner a suspicious look. "What are you doing just standing around? Help her!"

"He's in on this," Remy snarled jumping onto Tiana's shoulder. "They must have been who he called when he had returned."

Both girls attacked, smacking the villains with the pans. Honest John and Sir Ector dropped Aralyne onto the floor. While Skinner tried escaping, Rapunzel used her long hair to tie up all four of the villains while Remy ran for help. Mrs. Hawkins arrived several minutes later with Sinbad, Danny, Eric, Jim, Melody, and Captain Phoebus. Phoebus arrested the villains and dragged them out of the inn after releasing them from Rapunzel's hair. Danny and Eric then tried to wake up Aralyne, but she wasn't really responding.

"What' wrong with her?" Danny inquired, "Why isn't she waking up?"

Eric lifted her up into his arms, and scrunched up his nose at the sickly sweet scent she emitted. "Ugh! Smells like she's been drinking."

"She has," Remy explained, "It was part of Skinner's plan to kidnap her."

"Take her up to her room," said Mrs. Hawkins. Eric carried her out of the kitchen and upstairs to her room, depositing her on her bed. Melody, Jim, and Danny had followed to make sure she was okay.

* * *

I woke up with a serious major headache. The sunlight streaming into my room hurt my eyes and I felt like throwing up. When my vision had cleared, I saw Eric, Danny, Jim, and Melody sitting around me.

"How are you feeling?" Melody asked.

"Sick," I muttered, "Wass going on? What happened?"

"We'll tell you later," Eric said brushing my hair out of my face and kissing me. "Get some sleep."

I wanted to know more, but I passed out once again.

* * *

Next day I woke up almost alone (Melody was fast asleep in her own bed) and I got up feeling nauseous. I changed into one of Aurora's dresses, and stumbled out of the room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, sugar," said Tiana when she saw me. She was standing at the stove cooking breakfast, "How are you feeling?" I just groaned taking a seat in a chair and burying my face in my hands.

"Perhaps she would like some coffee?" a woman asked with a French accent. With a slight frown, I glanced up to see two new people in the kitchen today. Then it dawned on me they were Colette, and Linguini. Colette said to me, "_Would_ you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please," I croaked out. I watched as Linguini poured coffee into a mug, and handed it to me. "Thank you." I took a sip and nearly choked on how bitter it was. I really should have mentioned to add cream and sugar, but I didn't want to bother anyone so I drank it the way it was.

"It's almost time to get to work," said Remy running out onto a counter, "Are you ready, Aralyne?" I nodded, finishing my coffee, and throwing the mug into the sink.

"Don't worry, Remy," said Linguini taking my side, "I'll make sure she's okay today."

The morning rush started and at first I was helping Linguini and Mrs. Hawkins serve food, but once the dirty dishes started pouring in, I was stuck at the sink washing them. When everything had slowed down and I was on my last few plates, Ariel came into the kitchen clinging to Dimitri's arm.

"Hi, Aralyne," she said and I smiled at her. "I was wondering if you would like to accompany Dimitri and me to the beach once you're off of work?"

"Well, there is also the fair tonight," Dimitri said to Ariel, "We can go there instead."

I saw a flash of irritation in Ariel's eyes which made me raise my eyebrows in wonder. "But, I really want to go to the beach," she said.

"Aralyne should decide," he said and they turned their attention to me.

"Well," I said thinking about the choices, "I would really like to go to the fair. If you don't mind, Ariel?"

"N-No," she said with a forced smile, "Not at all. Maybe some other time then."

"We'll see you after work," Dimitri said, and he and Ariel left the kitchen. I stared after the redhead with a slight frown. _Why does she want me to go to the beach so badly?_

When we were on our break, I sat down and asked Tiana, Rapunzel, and Remy, "What happened yesterday? Eric said he was going to tell me, but I haven't seen him today."

"It was Skinner," Rapunzel said taking a seat beside me and taking my hand, "He had gotten you drunk, and called some villains to come kidnap you. But Tia and I took care of them. Remy called for Captain Phoebus, and they were all arrested."

"Thank you," I said giving the girls a small smile.

"Maybe you should stay near people that will protect you from villains," Linguini suggested.

"Yeah," I mused thinking of Danny and Eric, "I was thinking of asking a couple of… friends."

* * *

As soon as I was off work, I went out in search of the boys to ask them if they wanted to go to the fair with me, Ariel, and Dimitri. I couldn't find Eric, but I did manage to find Danny. Danny agreed to go along, which made me feel better. I was seriously disappointed not to find Eric. I guess you could say we were dating; it certainly felt like it, and he wasn't around for me to spend time with.

Danny and I met Ariel and Dimitri outside at the entrance to the fair.

"So, what do you girls want to do first?" Dimitri inquired.

"Oo! Let's go on some rides!" Ariel exclaimed looking around at everything. I gave her a funny look. _Um, didn't you want to go to the beach? Weren't you disappointed in coming here?_ "That one!" she cried grabbing Dimitri's hand and running towards the Ferris wheel. Danny and I exchanged glances, shrugged, and we ran after them.

"Two at a time, please," said King Hubert who worked the ride. Ariel, Danny, Dimitri, and I waited in line for about half an hour before going on. Dimitri and Ariel got on one carriage together, and Danny and I got on another carriage.

As we were taken up to the top, I looked around the fair and saw the stage I had performed on. This time, the spotlight was on a fifteen year old girl with long red hair, wore a red shirt, and white skirt. _Candace Flynn_, I mused watching her take the microphone. She began to sing, and it was a song I recognized as well:

_"If I could grant_

_You one wish_

_I'd wish you could see the way you kiss_

_Ooh, I love watching you_

_Baby_

_When you're driving me crazy_

_Ooh, I love the way you_

_Love the way you love me_

_There's nowhere else I'd rather be_

_Ooh, to feel the way I feel with your arms around me_

_I only wish that you could see the way you love me_

_Whoa, oh, oh_

_The way you love me"_

Talk about embarrassing! Of course it would be my luck that Danny and I would be on the Ferris wheel as a romantic song is being sung!

_"It's not right_

_It's not fair_

_What you're missing over there_

_Someday I'll find a way to show you_

_Just how lucky I am to know you_

_Ooh, I love the way you_

_Love the way you love me_

_There's nowhere else I'd rather be_

_Ooh, to feel the way I feel with your arms around me_

_I only wish that you could see the way you love me_

___Whoa, oh, oh_

_The way you love me"_

I just wanted to hide! I loved this song and knew it by heart, and shot a wary glance at Danny during the next verse.

"_You're the million reasons why_

_There's love reflecting in my eyes_

_Ooh, I love the way you_

_Love the way you love me_

_There's nowhere else I'd rather be_

_Ooh, to feel the way I feel with your arms around me_

_I only wish that you could see the way you love me_

___Whoa, oh, oh_

_The way you love me_

___Whoa, oh, oh_

_The way you love me_

___Whoa, oh, oh_

_The way you love me_

_Ooh, the way you love me_

_The way you love me"_

When the song was over, Danny just flashed me a smile as if the song didn't affect him. I breathed a sigh of relief, honestly worried he would take this the wrong way and try to kiss me. Kiss…. Oh, jeez! What if Candace had sang _Kiss the Girl_ instead? Talk about mortifying!

Once we had gotten off the Ferris wheel, Ariel, Dimitri, Danny and I went on more rides.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

_(Songs in this chapter are "I'm Wishing" and "One Song". I absolutely adore this scene from Snow White.)_

Ariel had dragged Dimitri off to play games, but I wanted to go check out the music, and Danny came along with me. We made our way to the stage in time to see Miguel, Eric, Nani, Lilo, Esmeralda, Jasmine, Shanti, Mowgli, Ranjan, Naveen, and Louis – the alligator – climb up to perform. _So that's why I couldn't find Eric! He's working the fair!_ Miguel and Naveen picked up some guitars, while Eric pulled out his flute, Esmeralda held a tambourine, Louis held a trumpet, and Shanti grabbed her drums. They began to play music, while Nani, Lilo, Jasmine, Mowgli, and Ranjan began dancing. I laughed and clapped to the beat of the song. Soon, the entire crowd was dancing, including me, and Danny.

After a while, with all of the bodies and movement, I got a little hot.

"I'm going to go get something to drink," I said fanning my face. Danny nodded, and I left him to head over to one of the stalls selling consumptions. I squeezed my way through the crowd, until I felt a strong hand grip me by the shoulder. The hold was tight, and I cringed feeling a bruise develop. Looking behind me I saw a cloaked figure holding onto me. He clamped his free hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming, and dragged me into a dark alley where I saw three other figures waiting. They were Sykes, Lefou, and Madam Medusa.

"Well done, Ruber," said Sykes puffing on a cigar and blowing the smoke in my face. I gagged at the smell, and tried turning my head away, but Ruber held on tight.

"Yeah, you took her from underneath everyone's noses! What a bunch of idiots!" said Lefou laughing. I growled at the short villain – who happened to be shorter than me, I might add – and kicked him in the shin. He cried out in pain and began hopping on one foot, holding his injured leg.

"Now, now, dear," said Madam Medusa, leering down at me with a large sickening smile, "It's time to behave. Can you do that for your Aunty Medusa?" I kicked out at her, too, but she dodged my foot. "Little brat," she muttered.

"Let's get on with this already!" Ruber cried, "Let's hand her over to the Evil One and be done with this!"

"Yes," agreed Sykes, "Let's go." The villains began dragging me down the dark alley, and I couldn't even scream for help….

* * *

Eric had looked out into the crowd to see Aralyne being taken away by a cloaked figure. His jaw clenched, causing him to stop playing the flute as anger welled up inside of him. Whoever it was, was kidnapping _his_ girl! He caught Danny's eye and motioned to him to turn around. Danny spun on his feet in time to see Aralyne being taken into a dark alley. He transformed into Danny Phantom, and flew after them as Eric jumped off the stage and ran through the crowd towards the alley.

* * *

"Wow, you must be desperate," I heard Danny's voice nearby. The Villains and I looked around but couldn't see him. Then Sykes stumbled backwards as if he had been punched in the face. _He's invisible!_

"Now, what have we here?" said another voice and a shadow moved in the darkness. The only problem was, this newcomer blended in so well with the shadows, that we didn't even know anything was really there until we saw a pair of bright green eyes. The newcomer growled like an animal and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Release her," Eric said at the alley's entrance.

"I don't think so," said Ruber, pulling out a sword and holding it to my throat. The villains and I both knew that they weren't allowed to kill me, but my rescuers didn't know that. Danny, Eric, and the shadow all froze waiting to see what would happen next.

With my mouth now free, I shouted out, "Danny, Eric! It's okay, he's not allowed to harm me. None of them are!" My heroes then attacked the villains. Eric started fighting Ruber, which caused the villain to release me. Sykes was still being beat by Danny – who was now visible – and I saw a shadow slamming into Madam Medusa. Her scream was mixed with the shadow's roars. Lefou grabbed my arm and tried pulling me away from the brawls, but I wasn't going to go anywhere with him. I kicked him in the shins again and he let me go, crying out in pain. I didn't stop there. I continued kicking him until he was soon cowering on the floor in a fetal position. _Totally lame villain_, I thought in disgust. Lefou eventually had had enough of my abuse and ran off. At that moment, I looked up to see Ruber had cornered Eric and was close to killing him.

"Eric!" I cried out, and screamed when the shadow leapt onto Ruber. Eric dodged that fight and ran towards me, wrapping me in his arms.

He pulled my face into his chest, and said, "Don't look, Aralyne."

Of course, when someone says _don't look_ it causes someone to look. Peeking out through my long bangs, I saw Madam Medusa's shredded form on the ground in a pool of blood. My own blood ran cold at the sight. _That shadow_, I thought horrified, _It did that to her, and now it's doing the same thing to Ruber!_

"Come on," Eric said pulling me back out of the alley and into the safety of the crowd.

"Wait," I said, "Danny." But there was no need to worry. Danny was carrying the body of an unconscious (and alive) Sykes.

"I'll just drop this off over at the jails," Danny said, and flew off.

"Eric," I said in a shaky voice, "What was that shadow?"

No sooner had I finished saying that when the shadow responded stepping out into the light, "My name's Bagheera. Pleased to meet you, Aralyne. And I apologize for scaring you. That was not my intention."

I stared at the panther with wide eyes. Bagheera a murderer? No, I couldn't really see that…. But it's in a cat's instinct to kill if necessary.

"Come on, Aralyne," said Eric, "I'll take you home." He led me through the crowd all the way back to the Benbow Inn.

* * *

It was my third day working in the kitchens at the Benbow Inn, and I was now on my break between breakfast and lunch. I haven't seen much of the Princesses lately except the mermaids, and occasionally Ella when she came to visit Sinbad. I wanted to go meet Snow White somewhere and talk just to know a bit more about her, and find out how different she was from the Snow White I grew up knowing. After asking around for a bit, I soon found out where she lived and ended up at a beautiful white mansion. The door was answered by a little girl that greatly resembled Snow after I had knocked.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, um, I'm looking for Snow White. Is she here?" I inquired.

The little girl grinned up at me and said, "You're Aralyne Chanson! Hi, I'm Snow's sister, Anne-Marie! She's out back in the garden!"

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Anne-Marie. It was very nice meeting you." I walked around the mansion until I found the garden, and when I had made my way around some shrubs that were about six feet tall, I saw Snow walking to a well as she hummed. A bunch of white doves followed her.

After pulling out a pail of water, she stopped humming and said to the doves, "Want to know a secret?" The doves nodded. "Promise not to tell?" Again, the birds nodded. Then she began to sing, and I stopped in my tracks to listen:

_"We are standing by a wishing well._

_Make a wish into the well,_

_That's all you have to do_

_And if you hear it echoing,_

_Your wish will soon come true."_

Snow leaned over the well, and continued with her song, her voice echoing.

_"I'm wishing" – I'm wishing_

_"For the one I love to find me" – To find me_

_"Today" – Today_

_"I'm hoping" – I'm hoping_

_"And I'm dreaming of_

_The nice things" – The nice things_

_"He'll say" – He'll say_

Snow now sang into the well and listened to it echo. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something on the fence, and looked up to see Prince Charming (yes, the very same one from _Snow White_ and not _Cinderella_) sitting up there, staring down at her with a smile on his face. Snow then continued on with the lyrics.

_"I'm wishing" – I'm wishing_

_"For the one I love to find me" – To find me_

_"Today."_

Instead of an echo, the Prince sang: "_Today_". He had jumped off the wall and was now standing behind Snow.

"Oh!" Snow White gasped with a hand over her mouth as she faced the Prince.

"Hello," he said removing his hat from his head, "Did I frighten you?" Snow White then turned and ran through the garden towards the mansion. "Wait! Wait, please! Don't run away." Snow ran inside, shutting the door behind her. Through the window, we could see her run up a flight of stairs and onto a balcony hiding behind the curtains. Staring up at the balcony, the Prince now began to sing:

_"Now that I've found you_

_Hear what I have to say_

_One song_

_I have but one song_

_One song_

_Only for you_

_One heart tenderly beating_

_Ever entreating_

_Constant and true"_

Snow White slowly came out further onto the balcony and leaned over the rail with a shy grin to look down upon him.

_"One love_

_That has possessed me_

_One love_

_Thrilling me through_

_One song_

_My heart keeps singing_

_Of one love_

_Only for you."_

Snow White kissed a dove, and it flew down to the Prince, passing the kiss on before flying away. She retreated back and closed the curtains with a smile.

I pulled back behind the hedge, a hand over my heart as I felt tears leaking from my eyes. That was the sweetest, most romantic scene I've ever laid eyes upon. Not wanting to interrupt such an intimate moment, I ran out of the garden, wiping the tears from my eyes, and went off in search of something else to do during my break.

By the time I had finished running, I had ended up outside the village's library. One thing about me is that I love books. Sometimes my friends would joke saying I'm a walking encyclopedia, or I'd end up marrying a book. After catching my breath, I decided to spend the rest of my break inside the library looking for a good book to read. Hopefully I'd end up finding a history book about this place! Upon entering the building, I saw two females sitting behind a desk checking out books to people. One of the female librarians was Belle (no surprise there), and the other was Jane Porter.

"Hello there, Miss Aralyne," said Milo Thatch heading towards the shelves with a stack of books in his arms, "Is there anything we can help you with?"

"Hi, Milo," I said with a smile, "No, I'm just going to look around." He nodded and disappeared behind a shelf. I wandered around the library gazing at the thousands of books. My fingers were twitching to grab one and just start reading. After several minutes of browsing the shelves, I found my favorite book series: _The Morganville Vampires _by Rachel Caine. The only problem was they were on a shelf way up out of my reach. Looking around, I couldn't find Milo anywhere to help me out so I started jumping, hoping to reach the books. A fluffy brown owl suddenly swooped out of nowhere, snatched the first two books in its claws, and dropped them into my outstretched hands. Startled, I said, "Oh, thank you."

"Not a problem, Miss," said the owl perching at the top of the shelf, "It's my job here at the library to get or return books from the top shelves for those that cannot reach. My name is Archimedes, by the way."

"Well, thank you again, Archimedes," I said with a grin before turning around and making my way through the maze of book shelves to check out the books.

* * *

Rose – wearing her Huntsgirl outfit – Sarousch, and Snoops were in Nesidy looking for Aralyne. They had found her as she entered the library.

"Let's go get her now," said Snoops fidgeting around as they stood outside in an alley.

"No, you idiot," Rose hissed slapping him upside the head, "There are people in the library! We have to snatch her when no one is around that way she won't be screaming for help!"

"The girl has a point," said Sarousch holding a mirror, and blowing kisses to his reflection.

Rose rolled her eyes in annoyance. _Honestly! He's almost as bad as Gaston!_ "So, it's agreed," she said aloud, "We wait until she's alone."

The minutes dragged on as they waited, and eventually Aralyne stepped out of the library carrying a couple of books in her hand.

* * *

I was going to be late for work! After checking out the books with my new library card, I stepped out of the library and began running towards the Benbow Inn. I hadn't gotten far when I tripped over something, and fell, dropping my books at the entrance of an alley. Now on my hands and knees, I looked up to see two men, and a girl younger than me staring down at me.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" said the girl grabbing my arm and helping me to my feet.

"It's alright," I said dusting myself off. I tried pulling out of the girl's grip, but her hold on my arm tightened. Glancing at her, I was going to say something when the two men bound and gagged me. That's when I realized who they were, especially the girl. Glaring at her, I tried calling out for help, but of course, it was useless.

The girl gave an evil laugh as she dragged me through the alley. _Dammit! What's with villains and dark alleys?!_ I was taken throughout the entire town until we left and ended up in the forest. When I couldn't set myself free, and no one came to my rescue, I began to panic. I sure as hell wasn't going to go back to the Evil One if I could help it. I tried screaming again, hoping someone would hear me.

"Make her shut up," said Sarousch, "or we'll be discovered."

Rose pulled out a knife and pointed it in my face snarling, "Shut it, little girl." Becoming quiet, I narrowed my eyes at her. _Little girl?!_ I lifted up my leg to kick her, but she expertly blocked it. "Nice try," she said with a smirk. _Think, Aralyne, think!_ I glanced over at the other two villains. If I couldn't attack her, I could certainly get _them_. I shot out my leg once more, and my foot connected with Snoop's stomach. Holding his gut in pain, he stumbled backwards into Rose. She dropped her knife, and I quickly dropped down to the ground. With my hands tied behind my back, it was a bit difficult to grab the knife, but I did, and swiftly cut the ropes holding me. Now free from my bondage, I dropped the knife, removed the gag, stood up, and ran through the forest away from my captors.

"She's getting away!" Sarousch shouted out. I could hear their steps gaining behind me. Like an idiot, I glanced back over my shoulder to see how close they were and wasn't paying attention to what was in front of me. My foot slipped, and I looked forward in time to see I had just run off a cliff. I landed on some rocks, feeling them stab my side, and I continued to fall until I landed on my back in a shallow pond. While scrambling to my feet, I found I was stuck inside a fishing net and tried untangling myself from it.

"Hey! That's _my_ net," said a man's voice behind me. I turned to look at who had spoken. He was tall with long dirty blonde hair, had grayish eyes and was holding a staff. The man was smacking the end of the staff into his palm as he faced me with a scowl.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

_(I decided to combine chapters to make them longer, so I apologize for the inconvenience. Song in this chapter is "I Stand Alone" from the movie "Quest for Camelot".)_

I stared at the man for a moment as I slid my foot out of the net. Then we heard Rose shout out, "Get her, you fools!" The man and I turned to see her, Snoops, and Sarousch sliding down the cliff towards us. With a gasp, I ran out of the pond and onto shore. The villains finally reached the bottom, and headed for me, but the man suddenly stepped between us.

"Get out of the way!" Rose shouted. When he had refused, she and the two villainous men started attacking him, but the man fought back with his staff. Taking enough of the fight, Rose pulled out her knife again and threw it at the man.

"Look out!" I cried, and the man dodged the blade. The knife got stuck in a tree, and I ran to pull it out. If any of the villains got near me, I at least had a weapon now, and I felt stupid for leaving it behind in the first place. Sarousch and Snoops were beat unconscious and so the man fought Rose. I wanted to help him, but I didn't know what to do! The man eventually tripped Rose, and she fell backwards into the pond. He stepped onto her chest to keep her from moving, and as a result, she couldn't lift her head out of the water, either. I watched slightly horrified as she struggled to reach the surface to breathe, but she eventually stopped moving.

Tearing my eyes away from Rose's dead body, I gazed at the man in astonishment. He had gotten off of Rose, and was now holding his net, which I now realized, I had ripped. As I slipped Rose's knife into my pocket, he muttered something underneath his breath until I finally spoke up, "That was incredible! How you fought those villains, how you defeated Rose! You're amazing, you're – not even listening to me!" I was annoyed that he was ignoring me.

The man said, "Great it took me two weeks to make this net!"

I blinked at him. _Are you serious?!_ "Your net? You _saved_ my _life_, thank you!"

He turned to me with a small smirk on his face and said, "Well anyone can make a mistake."

"Oh I get it," I said, my voice thick with sarcasm, "this is where Grandpa Lao Shi sends his unfunny jesters right?"

The man suddenly scowled. "Now I will thank you!"

"For what?" I inquired arching up an eyebrow.

"For reminding me why I'm a hermit! Good day!" he said storming out of the pond and into the forest.

"Wait," I called out, running after him, "what's your name?"

"It's Garret," he replied, not facing me.

"I'm Aralyne. Garret, why won't you look at me when I'm talking to you?" I demanded stepping before him and staring up into his face. He stopped, his gaze somewhere above my head, and it struck me. Placing my hands over my mouth I continued in a softer tone, "Oh, I didn't realize you were-"

"What?" he said with a sarcastic smile, "Tall? Rugged? Handsome?"

"Blind," I replied quietly.

"You know I _always_ forget that one!" he said still being overly sarcastic. His tone changed as he asked, "What is it you want, Aralyne?"

"Well, I'm lost," I explained, "I was going to ask if you could show me the way back to Nesidy."

"Very well," he said continuing to walk through the woods. I followed him, honestly wondering why he was a hermit.

"So, Garret," I said, "Why are you out here all alone?"

"I'm an outcast," he replied, "but it's not like you'd know anything about that."

I stopped in my tracks for a moment, placing hands on hips. "Try me," I said.

Garret gave another smirk as I caught up to him once again, and he began to sing:

_"I know the sound of each rock and stone_

_And I embrace what others fear_

_You are not to roam in this forgotten place_

_Just the likes of me are welcome here"_

We began climbing up a hill, and I was amazed he was able to swerve around so many obstacles using only his staff as a guide.

_"Everything breathes and I know each breath_

_For me it means life_

_For others it's death_

_It's perfectly balanced_

_Perfectly planned_

_More than enough for this man"_

Garret was heading for a waterfall that was pouring over a tree bridge, and with his staff, he parted the water and stepped through without getting wet. The water was still parted after he had gone through, and I stood beneath the curtain for a moment staring at it amazed until the water suddenly poured over me. Spluttering, I ran out from underneath the fall.

_"Like every tree stands on its own_

_Reaching for the sky I stand alone_

_I share my world with no one else_

_All by myself_

_I stand alone"_

We ended up on another hill where there were a ton of butterflies perched on flowers. Garret strode through the flowers, sending the insects to fly around us. I giggled as I watched the enchanting sight. A butterfly landed on the tip of my nose, and I stared at it cross-eyed. Garret held his finger before my face, and the butterfly transferred from my nose to his finger. It crawled up the length of his finger before flying off and joining the others.

_"I've seen your world with these very eyes_

_Don't come any closer, don't even try_

_I've felt all the pain and heard all the lies_

_But in my world there's no compromise"_

Garret and I continued on through the forest, and I gazed in wonder at the different animals that came out of their homes to watch us pass by.

_"Like every tree stands on its own_

_Reaching for the sky I stand alone_

_I share my world with no one else_

_All by myself I stand alone_

_All by myself I stand alone_

_All by myself I stand alone"_

We had finally made it to the edge of the forest outside of Nesidy. "Oh, Garret, thank you!" I exclaimed grateful to see the village once again. I turned back to him and added, "You don't always have to be alone. Outcast or not, you're a good person, and I like you – and it's not because you just helped me out. If you ever need a friend, I'll be there." Remaining silent, Garret just nodded, and wandered back into the forest. Now left alone, I raced into Nesidy.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Aralyne?" Linguini asked setting a stack of dirty dishes into the sink.

"You mean she hasn't come back from her break?" Remy inquired frowning slightly.

"I'll go ask Mrs. Hawkins if she has seen her," said Colette. She left the kitchens and entered the dining area where Mrs. Hawkins was serving food to customers. "Mrs. Hawkins," said Colette, "Aralyne has not returned from her break. Have you seen her?"

"No," said Mrs. Hawkins, pausing in her work, "That's strange. She's not the type to slack on her job, in fact, she always seemed eager to help out in any way she could." That's when she spotted Jim and Melody holding hands and about to head out. "Hold it, you two." The teenagers came to a halt wondering if they were in trouble. "Do you know where Aralyne is? She seems to have disappeared."

Jim and Melody exchanged worried glances. "Uh oh," they said simultaneously.

"What do you mean _uh_ _oh_?" said Mrs. Hawkins, "What's going on?"

"Well, the villains have been targeting her a lot lately," Melody explained, "I heard she was kidnapped yesterday at the fair, but Eric, Danny, and Bagheera saved her."

"Go out and find her, will you?" said Mrs. Hawkins, "Make sure she's okay." The teenagers nodded and left the inn together.

* * *

I found my way back to the alley where I had been kidnapped to see my library books still lying on the ground. I picked them up inspecting the damage; the covers were a little scraped from sliding across the ground, and a couple of pages were bent, but it didn't seem too bad.

"Aralyne!" I heard Jim's voice calling my name.

"Aralyne?" That was Melody.

I stepped out of the alley to see them looking slightly panicked as they searched the town for me. "Over here," I yelled waving my arm over my head to grab their attention. Relief washed over their faces as they ran my way.

"Aralyne, where were you?" Melody inquired, "We were getting worried."

"Yeah, everyone noticed you hadn't returned from your break," Jim added then his eyes widened as he noticed the scrapes and bruises on my body. "What happened?" he asked his tone becoming cold.

"I'll explain at the inn," I replied, and the three of us walked back to the Benbow Inn.

Mrs. Hawkins's reaction was worse than I thought it would be when we had stepped into the building. "Aralyne!" she cried dropping the dishes she held her in arms.

"Okay," I said holding up my free hand, "I know it looks bad –"

"Bad?" she interrupted running forward to grab me by the shoulders and force me into a chair, "You're bleeding!" Mrs. Hawkins ran a hand over a cut on my side I hadn't noticed until now. The wound was pouring out blood and I blinked down at it in surprise. "Jim, go get some bandages," she said. Jim left and returned a moment later with what she needed. "Start explaining," she told me as she started dressing my wounds.

I told her about going to visit Snow, but saw she was busy (I left out the details. I didn't feel it was my place to talk about her romantic life) so I went to the library instead, and upon leaving, I was kidnapped by Rose, Sarousch, and Snoops. They took me into the woods where I had escaped and fell down a cliff (Melody and Mrs. Hawkins gasped at that) after which I had met Garret (Jim and his mother hissed and scowled at the mention of the hermit) and he saved my life before showing me the way back to the village. By the time I had finished explaining everything, Mrs. Hawkins had finished tending to my wounds.

"Sounds like you've had quite a morning," said Mrs. Hawkins.

I didn't answer that, but asked a question of my own: "Why is Garret an outcast? The way he spoke made it sound like he had been banished from Nesidy."

"Don't worry about it," said Jim, "It's not important."

I didn't ask any other questions, but pushed the thought aside. I'll find out the truth eventually.

"Aralyne, why don't you take the rest of the day off," Mrs. Hawkins suggested, "I'm sure the others will be fine without you in the kitchen." I nodded and got up from the chair unsure of what to do now.

"We were going to go to the beach," said Melody, "Would you like to join us?"

I smiled at her and Jim, "Sure." We left the inn, and headed towards the beach.

* * *

It was already past noon, and Ariel could see the sun was sinking into the west as she sat on the beach alone staring out over the ocean. Dimitri was working today, and so she spent this time alone. She bit her lip in worry; her third day on land was nearly expired. _"We will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days…. Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get someone to switch places with you as a mermaid. If you can get that person into the ocean before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human, permanently, but - if that person doesn't enter the ocean, you turn back into a mermaid….The person you must get into the ocean is a girl by the name of Aralyne."_

"Oh, what am I going to do?" she moaned burying her face inside her arms.

Then she heard Melody's voice nearby: "Aralyne, Jim and I are going to get ice cream. Would you like one?"

Ariel's head shot up at Aralyne's name and she saw the three friends heading her way.

* * *

"No thanks," I said, "I'll meet you at the water." Jim and Melody ran off and I continued walking the sandy shore barefoot as I held my shoes in my hand.

"Aralyne!" I heard a voice call out my name. I looked to my right to see Ariel sitting on the sand waving at me. She jumped to her feet and came my way with a large smile. "I thought you were working today?" she said stopping beside me.

"I was," I replied, "but Mrs. Hawkins gave me the rest of the day off."

"Oh, perfect!" she exclaimed taking my shoes and dumping them onto the sand. She then grasped my hand with both of hers. "I've been wanting to spend time with you! Come on!" She dragged me closer to the ocean and we stopped before the lapping waves could reach our feet. "Aralyne, I'm sorry."

Before I could ask why she was apologizing, she shoved me into the water. The waves began churning becoming darker. A huge wave swept out of the ocean, and fell on top of me, dragging me out into the sea….


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

_(Song in this chapter is "Loreley" by Blackmore's Night.)_

A green light surrounded the lower half of my body, and my legs transformed into a long purple fin. I gaped down at it in surprise before I realized I was breathing under water! Not only that, the waves were dragging me out deeper into the ocean. I struggled against the current, but I could feel I wasn't making any progress. The current pulled me into the depths of some sort of skeleton, and I ended up in a room where there were two octopus-women. _Ursula and Morgana!_

"Oh, welcome, my precious," said Morgana with a large faux smile, "Oh, don't be shy. Come in. Come in out of the cold." She forced me into a stone chair. "Sit, sit. Hungry? Afraid all we have is a cold plate. Smelt-cicle? Kelp chip? Hush guppy?" I gulped and shook my head as I pulled away from her.

"What's going on?" I inquired in a small voice, "Why am I a – a mermaid?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Ursula moving towards me and wrapping a tentacle over my shoulder, "That little mermaid –Ariel – did this to you. She wanted to be human, and now she is. But, there was a catch. She needed someone to take her place."

I squirmed out of Ursula's reach, and swam out of the chair facing the sisters. "You two are witches, right? Can't you turn me back into a human?"

Flotsam and Jetsam arrived and wrapped themselves around me and I shuddered at their touch. "They can," the eels said simultaneously, "But they're not going to."

"You belong to us now, angelfish," said Morgana, and "we'll be handing you over to the Evil One."

My heart dropped in fear….

* * *

Melody and Jim returned to the beach in time to see Ariel shove Aralyne into the ocean, and Aralyne disappearing underneath the waves.

"Aralyne!" they shouted out, dropping their ice cream and running towards the water. Jim was about to jump into the ocean, but Melody held him back.

"Jim, don't!" she said, "It's too dangerous!"

"But Aralyne!" he said, "She could be drowning!"

"She's not," Ariel said and the couple turned their attention to her.

"Ariel," said Melody her eyes narrowing in suspicion, "What aren't you telling us?"

"It's my fault," Ariel said, "She's a mermaid now because of me."

"_What do you mean she's a mermaid?!_" Melody screeched grabbing her sister by the shoulders and shaking her.

"I'm going for help," Jim said and ran off, leaving the girls alone.

Ariel lowered her head in shame. "I had to," she confessed, "If I didn't, I'd be a mermaid again!"

"What are you talking about?" Melody demanded.

Jim soon arrived with Captain Phoebus right behind him.

* * *

Ariel was arrested and sent to jail. She sat in her cell alone and was completely surprised to see that Grandpa Lao Shi came to visit her.

"Tell me, young one, what would cause you to do such a thing to Aralyne?" he inquired.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, and told him everything starting with rescuing Dimitri in the ocean during the storm and ending with Aralyne's disappearance.

"I see," he said slowly, "People do crazy things when they're in love…. However, that does not excuse your crime."

"Why is Aralyne so important?" she asked, "You make it sound like I had just committed the worst crime of all by sending her into the ocean."

"Ariel," Grandpa replied, "I have asked all of the citizens of Nesidy to look after Aralyne and make sure she stays out of danger. What I have not told them as to why they must protect her. She may be the key to the Evil One's undoing."

* * *

"Now, Aralyne Loreley Chanson," said Ursula, "Be on your best behavior while we present you to the Evil One."

I gaped at her, "You know my name?"

"My dear," said Morgana with a laugh, "We're witches; we know _everything_ about you." Flotsam and Jetsam began chortling causing me to shake in their grasp. "For instance, you _will_ join the Evil One's side whether you want to or not."

"No," I said shaking my head, "I _won't!_"

"Oh, but you will," said Ursula, "And you will destroy anyone who gets in your way." With another evil cackle, she motioned for the eels to take me to her magical bubble. Inside was what looked like a movie playing. It showed Captain Amelia's ship with the crew on board, and they were sailing through the ocean. A voice from the bubble began to sing:

"_Merrily we sailed along_

_Though the waves were plenty strong_

_Down the twisting river Rhine_

_Following a song_

_Legend's faded storyline_

_Tried to warn us all_

_Oh, they called her, 'Loreley'_

_Careful or you'll fall"_

The image then zoomed up on me on the deck fighting everyone and killing the crew one by one starting with Jim. I cringed at the sight of blood pouring from his body.

"_Oh, the stories we were told_

_Quite a vision to behold_

_Mysteries of the seas_

_In her eyes of gold_

_Laying on the silver stone_

_Such a lonely sight_

_Barnacles become a throne_

_My poor Loreley"_

The scene changed and I saw myself sitting on the beach in the moonlight with Danny. The me in the video was trying to seduce him. Right as we started kissing, I plunged a dagger into his chest, and he fell over lifeless. _No!_ I mouthed soundlessly as I felt tears sting my eyes.

"_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley_

_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley"_

Danny wasn't the only person I did this to in the image. I did it to all of the males I had met so far: Eric, Aladdin, Phoebus, Flynn Rider, Tulio, Sinbad. They were all falling one by one, and I was standing in a pool of their blood. The tears began flowing freely from my eyes as I continued to watch the horrific scene.

"_You would not believe your eyes_

_How a voice could hypnotize_

_Promises are only lies_

_From Loreley_

_In a shade of mossy green_

_Seashell in her hand_

_She was born the river queen_

_Ne'er to grace the land"_

The "bubble" me was now killing my friends. I had just decapitated Melody, and I was slaughtering Snow, Aurora, Belle, Milo, and many more.

"_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley_

_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley"_

The me in the image was laughing maniacally as I slit the throats of the children in the village. Then I scooped up a handful of their blood from the streets and sipped it. The blood dripped down my chin, and I nearly fainted at the scene.

"_Oh, the song of Loreley_

_Charms the moon right from the sky_

_She will get inside your mind_

_Lovely Loreley_

_When she cries, 'Be with me_

_Until the end of time'_

_You know you will never be_

_With your Loreley"_

Grandpa was trying to stop me with help from other heroes, but I had disposed of them just as easily as the others. The Evil One stood behind me laughing and placed a hand on my shoulder. He then pulled out his own weapon and stabbed me in the back.

"_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley_

_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley_

_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley_

_And the winds would cry_

_And many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down_

_To the Loreley"_

"STOP!" I screeched, tears blurring my vision. It was horrible, and I could feel myself shaking. So much death! So much _blood!_ That's why the Evil One wanted me… to do the dirty work for him. The video was engrained into my mind keeping me from thinking clearly. _This couldn't happen!_

* * *

Every citizen of Atlantica was out scouring the ocean hoping to find Ariel since she disappeared three days ago. Sebastian and Flounder were together searching one section of the ocean.

"How are we going to find her?" Flounder inquired, "She could be anywhere!"

Before Sebastian could answer, they saw a mermaid wearing human clothes being pulled by a current and struggling to get away.

"What in the world?" said Sebastian as they watched her being dragged deeper into the ocean. They exchanged glances, before swimming after her, and soon made it to Ursula's and Morgana's lair. "The sea witches," said the crab, "Ariel must be in there!" He tried nudging Flounder away. "Swim back as fast as you can and tell the King and Queen. I'll try to find Ariel."

Flounder then protested, "Oh, but if the old sea witches are in there, and then those eels come, a-and then she takes those-those creepy tentacles... so suction cups stick to your face, and, and..." He took a deep breath and shook his head, "Uh. Uh-uh. No way you're goin' in there alone."

"But, Flounder, if we both go... who's going to tell the King and Queen where Morgana's and Ursula's lair is?" Sebastian replied in exasperation.

At that moment, Urchin, the merboy arrived and said, "Say, what's all the whisperin' about? Is Ariel around here? Did you find her yet? If she's –"

"Urchin! Get down and be quiet," Sebastian hissed slapping his claws over the merboy's mouth. Then an idea struck him, and he smiled, "Wait a minute. Urchin can get help. Urchin, I need you to pay very close attention." Urchin nodded eagerly.

Flounder smacked himself in the face and muttered, "We're doomed."

* * *

The seahorse entered the throne room where Triton and Athena were pacing in worry.

"Any sign of her?" Athena inquired when she spotted the seahorse.

The creature replied, "No, Your Majesty. We've searched everywhere. We've found no trace of your daughter." Athena covered her face and wept.

"Well, keep looking. Leave no shell unturned, no coral unexplored. Let no one in this kingdom sleep until she's safe at home," Triton commanded taking Athena into his arms.

"Yes sire," the seahorse said with a bow before leaving.

Once he was gone, Urchin arrived. "King Triton, Queen Athena!" he said, "Sebastian and Flounder saw a mermaid being sucked into the sea witches' lair. They suspect that Ariel may be in there as well."

The King and Queen exchanged surprised glances before Triton said, "Take me there." Urchin led King Triton out of Atlantica to the witches' lair.

* * *

Sebastian and Flounder swam inside the lair in time to see the video inside Ursula's magic bubble. And just like Aralyne, they were horrified at what she was meant to do. When it was over, they witnessed the girl crying. _But where was Ariel?_

* * *

"Now isn't that just a lovely sight?" said Morgana with a sick smile.

"I told you that you'll join our side," Ursula said lightly slapping my cheek.

"Ursula, stop!" we heard a loud commanding voice say. We turned to say a strong looking merman enter the lair followed by a crab, a yellow and blue fish, and a young merboy.

"Why, King Triton," Ursula cackled in delight, "How _are_ you?"

"Let her go," Triton ordered pointing his trident at the sea witches.

Morgana snarled, "Not a chance, Triton! She's ours now. We made a deal with your precious daughter, Ariel." She produced the contract Ariel had signed and unrolled it before the King's face. Triton struck the contract with a blast from his trident, but nothing happened. It was still intact.

Ursula sneered, "You see? The contract's legal, binding and completely unbreakable - even for _you_."

"Where's Ariel? What have you done with her?" Triton demanded glaring at the witches, "Surrender my daughter and I shall spare you."

"She's on land," I shouted out, "She's a human now!" Flotsam and Jetsam wrapped themselves tighter around me, constricting my lungs.

Sebastian swam forward and pinched the eels with his claws. They cried out in pain releasing me, and swam after the crab.

"Sebastian!" Flounder and Urchin cried out.

I tried swimming over towards King Triton, but Morgana had grabbed me by the waist with one of her tentacles. "Don't fool with us you little brat," she began to say, but I pulled out the knife I had taken from Rose, and stabbed the tentacle holding onto me. She released me with a cry of pain, "Why you little troll!" I quickly swam over to King Triton and ducked behind his massive form.

Ursula snarled at Flotsam and Jetsam, "Forget the crab! After her!" The eels changed course and came straight for me once again. King Triton lifted up his trident and zapped the eels. They exploded and my mind thought _sushi_ as I watched their remains float to the ocean floor. "Babies! My poor, little poopsies!" Ursula cried catching their remains in the palm of her hand. "You're going to pay for that, Triton!" As she hurtled towards us, Triton moved his trident, and the sea witch was impaled. Ursula pulled back in surprise, and she collapsed, dead.

Triton then faced Morgana, "Never again will you or yours threaten innocent people! There will be no escape for you... ever!" The remaining sea witch tried to barricade herself with her tentacles, but it was no use. King Triton zapped her the same way he struck the eels. She too exploded with her remains falling around us.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

King Triton, Urchin, Sebastian, and Flounder had taken me back to Atlantica after the whole sea witch escapade, and I told my story to them, Queen Athena, all of Ariel's sisters, and their governess, Marina Del Ray. They were of course delighted to know that Ariel and Melody were okay, but disappointed to hear that it had been Ariel's fault that I was in this situation.

"Oh, you poor girl," said Queen Athena, running a hand over my hair in a motherly way. I gave her a small smile.

"Oo! Can't she stay with us, Mother?" Arista inquired. Then she as well as Alana, Adella, and Aquata clasped their hands before themselves and pouted their lips in a pleading gesture.

"Girls," said Attina folding her arms over her torso in disapproval, "She's a _person_, not a _pet_."

"Attina's right," said King Triton, "And the decision is up to her on whether or not she would like to stay. All eyes landed on me and I squirmed underneath their gaze.

"Well," I said twisting my fingers together, "To be honest, I really would like to see Atlantica. The stories I've read about this place are so fascinating!"

Alana, Adella, Aquata, and Arista squealed in delight.

"Come on!" Arista exclaimed grabbing me by the wrist, "You can sleep with us in our room, and we'll show you the kingdom tomorrow! This is going to be so much fun!" She dragged me through the palace with the rest of the mermaid princesses following and we entered their room. "You can sleep in Ariel's bed while you're here!"

Arista released me and each of the mermaids began getting ready for bed. As they were doing that, I felt constricted in my dress and went through Ariel's collection of seashell bras. _Nothing but purple_, I mused holding up one of her seashells, _Oh well, at least it matches my new tail._ I exchanged my dress for the seashells and sat on the window sill watching the girls.

Alana was sitting before a mirror with some sort of green gunk on her face. Andrina popped up beside her and said, "Whoa! Don't look now, but dinner exploded on your face!"

Alana gave her an offended look, and replied hotly, "It's plankton extract and sea salt."

"Pretty," Andrina said sarcastically as Alana fixed the gunk on her face.

"It rejuvenates the skin, _and_ it won't clog your pores," Alana explained turning to her younger sister.

Andrina pulled away from her, covering up her nose as if it smelled. "Ugh! Whatever!" She swam over to her bed.

Alana returned her attention back to her reflection. "To your face."

"Excuse me," Arista said swimming passed Aquata and settling into her bed, pulling a night mask over her eyes.

Aquata gave her an annoyed look. "Uh, is that my mask?" she demanded with hands on hips.

"Nope," Arista replied as Aquata pulled the mask away from her.

"It's got my initial on it," Aquata said pointing to the 'A' on the mask.

"It does?" Arista inquired staring at her.

"All of our names start with 'A', Aquata," said Attina in an exasperated tone as she brushed out her hair. Adella held up a brush, Alana held up a compact, and Andrina held up a handkerchief all with the letter 'A' emblazoned on them to emphasize Attina's point. I had to stifle a giggle.

"Ugh, my brush!" said Aquata taking it from Arista's stash.

"Yeah," said Arista, "I was gonna talk to you about that."

"My lucky seashells," said Aquata taking them from Arista's stash.

"They're not very lucky," Arista said.

Aquata continued digging through the pile and gasped. "Mr. Fuzzyfinkle!" she exclaimed picking up a pink stuffed seahorse.

"Oh, but he's so cute!" Arista gushed, "Look at him; he likes me!"

Adella smirked at them as she brushed out her hair.

"And my _pillow_?" said Aquata lifting up the object.

"Oh, yeah, that's _for_ Mr. Fuzzyfinkle," Arista replied taking it back.

Aquata snatched the pillow back, "Ugh, nice try!"

"Give it back!" Arista cried grabbing the pillow and they began a round of tug-of-war.

"Arista," Aquata cried pulling the pillow out of her sister's grasp, "You always do this! It's _my_ stuff!"

"Finally some entertainment," said Andrina as Arista and Aquata resumed the tug-of-war.

There was the sound of a door closing, which caused Adella to turn to the entrance of the room for a brief moment. She then faced us, and said, "Shh! They're coming!" Aquata and Arista stopped fighting, and faced the door, each holding a corner of the pillow. Aquata then yanked it out of Arista's hands.

King Triton and Queen Athena entered the bedroom holding hands.

"Good evening, girls," said King Triton.

"Father," the princesses said now floating beside their beds.

"Sleep well," Athena said with a warm smile.

"Good-night, Mother," they said together.

The King and Queen then left us. We slipped into our own beds, and I soon fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up and turned over in Ariel's bed facing the window. _Morning already?_ A couple of tiny seahorses hovered by the window before swimming away. I giggled at the sight. I then heard the door to the room open as someone entered.

"Uppy, uppy, my darlings," I heard a bossy voice say. I sat up and faced the door to see Marina Del Ray floating by the entrance. She swam through the room between the beds.

"Ugh! Governess!" Attina groaned pulling her pillow over her head.

Marina snatched Aquata's pillow and threw it across the room. Aquata's head fell with a thud, waking her up.

"Hey!" Aquata exclaimed sitting up and glaring at Marina with sleepy eyes.

"Rise and shine!" said Marina with a forced smile.

"Why so early?" Aquata moaned.

Marina replied moving across the room, "Mustn't be late."

Arista sat up in bed with a mask over her eyes and said, "But it's still dark out!" Aquata gave her a look that said _Are you serious?_ Marina pulled the mask off of Arista. "Oh," Arista said with an embarrassed giggle, "Hi."

"I was dreaming about a boy," Adella moaned with a dreamy smile on her face as she hugged her pillow with her eyes still shut.

Marina gave her a disgusted look and said annoyed, "Yes. Come on, girls!"

"But, I need my beauty sleep!" Alana protested adjusting the sea cucumbers on her eyes.

"Tell me about it," Andrina muttered rolling her eyes.

Becoming offended, Alana sat up, the sea cucumbers falling onto her pillow. "It's easy for you, but no one even cares what you look like –"

With a frown and hands on hips, Marina got in Alana's face and said, "Enough."

"Can't we get up a little later?" Andrina asked.

Marina floated over to her bed, lifted up the end, and tossed her out. Andrina slid down onto the floor.

"Your parents said you should get a head start on showing Aralyne the kingdom." When Marina gazed upon us, Aquata, Arista, Adella, Alana, and Attina were falling back asleep while Andrina still sat on the floor yawning. "GET! UP!" The girls sat up with a gasp, and swam over to their mirrors preparing for the day. "All right, all right, all right! Move your tails! This is a special time for Aralyne!"

"Special?" I spoke up sitting on the window sill once more, "I wouldn't really call it special."

"She's got a point," Andrina said putting on lipstick as she stood behind Aquata who was doing her hair.

"But it's your first day here in Atlantica," said Marina coming to me and handing me a hairbrush.

"It's just a tour of the kingdom," I said, "Not a ball."

"Got a point," said Andrina fixing her hair.

Aquata gave Andrina an annoyed look, "You've got your own mirror!"

"Stop primping!" Marina yelled. The girls stared at her for a moment before grooming themselves again.

"Come on, Aralyne," said Attina taking the brush from me and brushing my hair.

"You really don't have to make such a fuss over me," I said, "I'm nothing special for everyone to get so worked up about."

"Don't be silly," Attina said, "You're a guest here and we want to make sure you have a great time."

"Really, Attina, I can find someone to give me a tour. Just because I'm staying with you doesn't mean you have to be responsible for me."

Attina began swimming away but stopped and turned to me with a smile on her face, "Yes it does."

"Come on, girls," said Marina, and we all left the room.

We left the palace to see King Triton, and Queen Athena waiting for us outside.

"Are you ready to see Atlantica?" Athena asked with a smile.

I grinned and nodded. "Yes, ma'am." We began "walking" through the city in a quiet line. Other merfolk would swim out of our way and bow as we passed by. Not to seem ungrateful, but this was _really_ boring! I wish I could have gone off on my own to go explore. As I passed by a patch of seaweed, I plucked one strand from the ground. Holding it up, it swayed, and tickled me underneath my chin. I giggled as I rubbed the spot it had touched my skin. I glanced up ahead at the royal family. Adella was flirting with a cute merboy, and an idea came to mind. I swam up to Adella and tickled her ear with the sea weed.

Adella screamed. "Get it off!" she sort of hopped around in place and bumped into Andrina. Andrina and I both laughed at her as she stared at the boy wide-eyed. She growled at me. "That's it!" She chased me around the city, and I tried fending her off with the seaweed. I now swam after her laughing. Adella had managed to snatch the seaweed from my grasp and resumed chasing me, trying to tickle me with the strand. I looked behind me to see how close she was, and didn't pay attention to what was in front of me. I crashed into the rest of the princesses and we fell over. With all of us giggling, Adella tossed aside the seaweed and we got up. Our "walk" had come to a halt, and I realized we were back at the palace. We couldn't have possibly gone through all of Atlantica already!

"That is all, Marina," said King Triton, "Good-day, girls."

"Good-bye, Father," the princesses said simultaneously.

We all turned to leave, and I was going to go do some real exploring around this place when I heard Queen Athena call my name, "Aralyne."

I came to a halt and cringed slightly. "Yes, ma'am?" I said hesitantly turning to face her, Triton, and Marina. I swam back towards them.

Behind me, Arista whispered, "I wonder if she's in trouble."

"Time to go," Andrina muttered back.

"How did you like the tour?" King Triton inquired, and I felt myself flush in embarrassment.

"It was, um, very interesting," I replied.

"Yes, you must have had some fun with the seaweed," said Athena giving me a wink.

"Oh, um, I," I began to stammer not meeting their eyes.

"It's all right," said Athena with a laugh, "Go on and have some fun."

With a sigh of relief, and a grateful smile, I said, "Yes, ma'am!" and swam off to explore the city my way. It wasn't long until I had met up with the sisters, and they showed me everything! We even ran into Urchin, Sebastian, and Flounder. It was honestly the most fun I've had recently, and I actually forgot about going back to Nesidy.

* * *

With Aralyne missing out at sea, Grandpa had ordered Captain Amelia and her crew to go out and search for her. Jim and Sinbad joined them, while Melody did her own searching in the sea. The first place Melody went to was Ursula's and Morgana's lair, but found it empty except for Ursula's dead body. With a disgusted look, she avoided the corpse, looked around the lair for any sign of Aralyne.

"I wonder what they did with her," she said out loud in the eerie silence. She heard a _thump_ and jumped in surprise, swiveling around, but didn't see anything. "Okay, Mel," she said, "Relax. Nothing is going to happen." A shark suddenly broke through a wall and charged towards her. She dodged, and it smashed its head against the ceiling. Melody swam around the lair trying to avoid its hundreds of sharp teeth. She had managed to escape the lair and ended up out in the open sea. While still dodging the shark, Melody had swum to a sunken ship and tried losing the monster. It followed her around the mast, and that's when something caught her eye. The anchor on the ocean's floor! She made a quick turn and headed straight for the anchor. As expected, the shark followed. Melody swam through the anchor's ring, and the shark tried imitating her, but got stuck. It glared at her as she stopped and grinned at it. "You big bully," she said before blowing a raspberry at it. The shark chomped it jaws, and she backed away still grinning. Melody swam up to the surface, and Jim helped her onto the ship.

"Any news of Aralyne's whereabouts?" asked Captain Amelia once Melody had caught her breath.

Melody shook her head. "No. The sea witches don't have her. In fact, they're dead, which means Aralyne could be anywhere."

"In that case, return below and continue the search," said Captain Amelia.

Before Melody could dive back into the ocean, Eric called her out and said, "Make sure to bring her back alive and unharmed."

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Melody said before diving headfirst into the water.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

_(Songs in this chapter are "Mambo Number 5" by Lou Bega, and "Fly to Your Heart" by Selena Gomez.) _

By the end of the day, my mind was still swirling around with everything I had experienced under the sea. I was sitting on the window sill once again in the princess' bedroom. Looking behind me, I could see every bed occupied except two: Ariel's and Melody's. Why would they trade any of this for the land above? I swear if I was a native to Incantationen, I would be a mermaid all the time! The mermaids were asleep and I was still wide awake and full of energy, but I didn't want to disturb them. Up above me were some flowers and I plucked one from its stem. Gazing down at it, it reminded me of the rose bushes my dad had planted in our backyard. I released the flower and it floated down to the ocean floor. I gazed out the window, sadly. Yes, I loved it here, but I didn't belong. I needed to go back home to my real family. I suddenly saw a familiar yellow and blue fish dart through the royal garden.

"What?" I whispered in curiosity as I watched Flounder sneak out of Atlantica and head for the Kelp Forest. A couple of swordfish startled him, and he ducked behind a rock as they swam by. Once they had gone, he continued on his journey. _Where is he going?_ I wondered. I glanced back one last time to make sure the mermaids were fast asleep and wouldn't notice my disappearance. A couple of them shifted around but no one gave a hint of being even slightly awake. I swam out of the window and followed Flounder out of the kingdom, and into the Kelp Forest. At the edge of the forest, he whistled, and the kelp parted creating a path for him. I quickly dove in after him, and tumbled around in the plants. I was determined to find out what the little fish was up to and followed him deeper into the forest. Flounder stopped at a wall and knocked five times. The wall suddenly opened like a sliding door, and he swam through the entrance before it slammed shut. I swam up to the wall and knocked the same way he did. When the doors slid open for me, I quickly went through and saw Flounder at yet another door.

"Flippity Flop and slide to the side," he said.

"The joint is jumping," said another voice on the other side of the door.

"It's time to glide," Flounder replied and the door opened. He darted inside before it quickly closed.

_A secret code?_ I started heading for the door, but it suddenly opened, and I ducked behind some tall coral. A fish was being thrown out of – well, wherever it is I was at.

"Hey! But I got the kelp yesterday!" the fish seemed to protest as the door shut on him. "It's not fair," he said swimming away, "I'm weak, pathetic. I'm a lowly errand boy."

As he swam by me, I backed up into some strange anemone and I was suddenly sucked downward, and landed in some coral. Brushing my hair out of my face, I heard music and I gasped at what I saw.

A sea turtle on a stage said, "It's about that time."

There were fish and crustaceans dancing to music. Along with the turtle were other creatures on stage and they were playing musical instruments. I laughed in delight as they started singing:

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Mambo number five."_

I squealed like crazy, and of course, no one could hear me over the sound of the music. I absolutely love this song! I could feel my shoulders moving to the beat.

"_One, two, three, four, five, everybody in the car so come on let's ride... _

_To the liquor store around the corner. _

_The boys say they want some gin and juice but I really don't wanna. _

_Beer bust like I had last week. _

_I must stay deep 'cause talk is cheap. _

_I like Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita. _

_And as I continue, you know they're getting sweeter. _

_So what can I do? I really beg you my Lord. _

_To me flirting is just like a sport. _

_Anything fly, it's all good let me dump it. _

_Please send in the trumpet. _

_A little bit of Monica in my life, _

_A little bit of Erica by my side. _

_A little bit of Rita's all I need, _

_A little bit of Tina's what I see. _

_A little bit of Sandra in the sun, _

_A little bit of Mary all night long. _

_A little bit of Jessica here I am, _

_A little bit of you makes me your man!"_

Flounder swam through the dancers with a fin full of kelp. "Sea kelp," he said, "Salty or extra salty. Get your sea –"

"Flounder!" I called out to him. He froze and swiveled my way in surprise.

"Aralyne?" he said gaping at me. I waved at him eagerly. "Oh, no," he said swimming my way. He positioned himself in front of me and slapped me with his back fin.

"Flounder," I said pushing him aside and looking back on stage right as a curtain rose to reveal Sebastian. "Sebastian!" I ducked back down. I so didn't want him reporting me to the King and Queen because I snuck out of the palace. The crab began to sing, too.

"_Mambo number five."_

"Sebastian?" I gaped at him.

Flounder shut my mouth, and said, "Sebastian." I laughed and started dancing.

"_Jump up and down and move it all around. _

_Shake your head to the sound, put your hands on the ground. _

_Take one step left and one step right. _

_One to the front and one to the side. _

_Clap your hands once and clap your hands twice _

_And if it look like this then you're doing it right. _

_A little bit of Monica in my life, _

_A little bit of Erica by my side. _

_A little bit of Rita's all I need, _

_A little bit of Tina's what I see. _

_A little bit of Sandra in the sun, _

_A little bit of Mary all night long. _

_A little bit of Jessica here I am, _

_A little bit of you makes me your man!"_

I swam out of my hiding place to get a closer look at the performers. I could hear Flounder calling my name, but I ignored him. This was just too much fun! The fish lifted up Sebastian and threw him up in the air. I was pressed up against the stage, watching everything.

_Trumpet, the trumpet. _

_Mambo number five, ha, ha, ha. _

_A little bit of Monica in my life, _

_A little bit of Erica by my side. _

_A little bit of Rita's all I need, _

_A little bit of Tina's what I see. _

_A little bit of Sandra in the sun, _

_A little bit of Mary all night long. _

_A little bit of Jessica here I am, _

_A little bit of you makes me your man! _

_I do all to fall in love with a girl like you. _

_Cause you can't run and you can't hide. _

_You and me gonna touch the sky."_

I watched Sebastian dance around and I continued dancing as well. Who knew such a stickler for the rules could be this much fun?

"_Mambo number five."_

"I love your club," I said when he had finished his song.

"Aralyne," he said looking nervous, "What are you doing out of the palace? Do the King and Queen know you are out here?"

"No," I said, shaking my head, "I snuck out. Oh, please, may I sing just one song?" I bit my lip and gave him a pleading look.

"All right. Fine," he said, "Swifty?"

A small fish swam up to me and raised his right fin. "Raise your right hand, fin, claw, tentacle, or whatever the case may be." I giggled and did as I was told. "Do you promise to jump, jive, wail, groove, rock steady, and at all times lend a helping hand to your fellow music lovers?"

"I do!" I replied eagerly. All of the sea creatures cheered.

"Come on up, girl," said Sebastian waving me up to the stage. With a wide grin, I got up there and looked around at the instruments. My tail brushed over a guitar that was left on the floor, and it let out a beautiful sound. I then plucked the string with my tail and giggled at this ability. Moving over to the drums, I tapped out a beat just for fun. I also made a blaring sound on the saxophone, which, to be honest, is not my best instrument. I moved over to the piano and strummed the keys. Laughing, I played a few notes while humming the tune of the song I wanted to sing. The sea creatures picked up their instruments and played out the tune of the song. I sat at the edge of the stage, and Flounder swam up to me as I started to sing:

"_Watch all the flowers_

_Dance with the wind_

_Listen to snowflakes_

_Whisper your name_

_Feel all the wonder_

_Lifting your dreams_

_You can fly_

_Fly to who you are_

_Climb upon your star_

_When you believe_

_You'll find your wings_

_Fly to your heart"_

I jumped back up and swam around in a dance above the stage.

"_Touch every rainbow_

_Painting the sky_

_Look at the magic_

_Glide through your life_

_A sprinkle of pixie dust_

_Circles the night_

_You can fly_

_Fly to who you are_

_Climb upon your star_

_When you believe_

_You'll find your wings_

_Fly_

_Everywhere you go_

_Your soul will find a home_

_You'll be free_

_To spread your wings_

_Fly, you can fly to your heart_

_Rise to the heights_

_Of all you can be_

_Soar on the hope_

_Of marvelous things_

_Fly to who you are_

_Climb upon your star_

_When you believe_

_You'll find your wings_

_Fly_

_Everywhere you go_

_Your soul will find a home_

_You'll be free_

_To spread your wings_

_Fly, you can fly to your heart"_

When I had finished, I gave a bow and everyone in the club cheered.

* * *

I was dreaming about the song I sang at the Catfish Club last night, and woke up with a yawn. Opening my eyes, I found the mermaid princesses surrounding me. Alana and Arista had their mouths hanging open; Adella and Andrina were smiling at me; Aquata seemed curious, and Attina looked a little scared.

"What?" I gasped sitting up and looking around at them. "What?" I repeated.

Attina crossed her arms over her chest and replied, "Uh, you were humming."

"I was?" I said sheepishly. I knew I talked in my sleep (and can have full conversations, oddly enough), but I didn't know I sang in my sleep, too.

"Out loud," added Arista.

I got out of bed and swam over to the mirrors. "It's nothing. I was just dreaming."

"I'll tell you what wasn't a dream," said Alana as she and Aquata followed me, "We woke up at midnight."

"And your bed was still empty," Aquata added as Alana gazed at herself in the mirror. _Conceited much?_

"Really?" I said innocently brushing out my hair.

"Yeah, and that is two hours past curfew," said Andrina coming up behind me. She suddenly gasped and grabbed my shoulders from behind. "Oo! Was it a boy?" she inquired with a sneaky smile.

"Ugh! If it's a boy, I'm gonna die!" Adella cried melodramatically.

"Drama," Aquata said rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"I mean, I'm happy for you, Aralyne, it's just that you're not even from around here, and the only one I've come close to kissing is Stevie," Adella said with a dreamy smile as Andrina moved closer with a sneaky smile to hear the details.

"Ew! Squid-lip Stevie?" Andrina inquired teasing her.

"It was on a dare!" Adella explained.

"Whatever," Andrina said with a smirk.

"Girls," said Attina breaking their conversation, "Let's stick to the subject." They all returned their attention to me.

"Look, it wasn't a boy, okay," I said swimming away from the girls and heading towards the window, "I was just helping a friend past the Kelp Forest."

"Oo! Past the Kelp Forest," said Aquata grabbing Alana then moving on to Andrina, "It wasn't a boy, it was a _bad_ boy!"

Arista gasped in shock, "Oh, Aralyne!"

"Simmer down there, sister," said Aquata folding her arms over her chest.

"So, you were just helping a friend?" Attina inquired swimming up to me with hands behind her back.

"Yup," I said giving her an innocent smile.

With a sneaky grin, she said, "Then, where'd you get _this?_" From behind her back, she pulled out a maraca I had taken from the Catfish Club. The other princesses gasped. I took it away from her, and stuffed it underneath my pillow.

"Can you imagine what would happen if my parents found out you had snuck out of the palace _alone_."

"I was fine, and nothing happened," I said defensively.

"Don't get cute with me. This is serious," said Attina, "Where were you?" All of the girls stared at me, waiting for my answer.

Squirming under their gaze, I finally said in a rush, "I was just… listening to music in an underground club!" I landed back on my bed and gazed up at the sisters.

"Okay, where were you really?" Attina said skeptically. I bit my lip and grinned at her.

All of the sisters, except Attina gasped and swam up to me. They surrounded the bed with eager expressions.

"What was it like?" Arista inquired.

"Come on, spill it!" Andrina demanded.

"It was amazing!" I exclaimed grabbing Arista's hands and spinning her around the room. "The energy, the dancing, the music!" I released her and continued, "It felt just like…."

"Like what?" Aquata asked.

"It felt like magic," I concluded. The girls were silent for a while.

Brushing blonde hair out of her face, Arista said, "Aralyne, I wanna hear it, too."

"You do?" I said hopefully.

"Me, too," said Aquata swimming my way.

"Okay, me too."

"Me too! Me too!"

"Not without me!"

"Yeah, everybody does," said Arista as all of the girls except Attina swam up to me. "Please, Aralyne," Arista begged, "Please?"

"Well, we'll go tonight!" I said.

"Oo! I'm so excited!" Arista squealed.

"Music!" Aquata sighed.

"What should I wear?" Alana asked gazing down at herself.

"So, you think, there'll be boys?" Adella inquired.

"Only one way to find out," replied Andrina.

Attina swam up to us and cried, "This is not happening!" She got right in my face and added, "You go again, and I –" She couldn't seem to come up with anything to threaten me.

Andrina placed her hands on Attina's shoulders. "Oh, lighten up."

"Come on," I said placing a hand on Attina's shoulder.

Alana, Aquata, Adella, and Arista clasped their hands before them and gave her a pouty begging look.

With a defeated sigh, Attina said, "Okay!" All of the girls squealed in delight.

Marina then came inside and said in an irritated tone, "Come on, girls, uppy up –" She froze when she saw us up out of bed already. We swam past her out of the room. "They're early," I heard her say, "But, why?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

_(Song in this chapter is "Hey Princess" by Allstar Weekend.)_

Another day had gone by, and the search party still hadn't been able to find Aralyne. Everyone could see that Melody was exhausted, and they tried getting her to take a break and sleep for a while, but she refused.

"No," she said shaking her head, "I have to find her and make sure she's okay."

"But, you need to sleep," Jim insisted, "You'll get sick. Not only that, if you're not alert down there, you could get into serious trouble and… and I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Jim, I'll be fine," Melody said with a smile brushing his hair aside.

"Melody's right," said Eric, "It's crucial that we find Aralyne as soon as possible! I _need_ her back alive and well."

Jim frowned at him. "Listen, pretty boy, you're in love with Aralyne, we get it, but Melody shouldn't kill herself."

"Shut your mouth, kid," Eric growled, "You don't understand what I'm going through."

"Enough!" shouted Captain Amelia, "I will not tolerate squabbling on my ship. Am I understood?" She gazed back and forth between Jim and Eric.

"Yes," they said simultaneously.

"Good," the Captain then turned her attention to Melody, "Melody, if you are up for it, go back down one last time to search for Miss Chanson. Then return and get some sleep. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am," Melody replied, then dove back into the ocean.

Eric huffed, and stormed below deck.

* * *

"What is taking so long?" Tzekel-Kan demanded. He was conversing with his minion through another image hovering in mid-air. As usual, the minion was wearing his cloak to hide his identity.

"The girl has disappeared," the minion replied, "She was taken into the ocean a couple of days ago, and has not yet been found."

"She had better be alive," Tzekel-Kan growled, "or I'll take it out on you for not watching her properly."

"Yes, sir," said the minion with a nod. Then the image disappeared.

* * *

The mermaids and I entered the Catfish Club and they looked around the place in amazement. Up on stage, the band started playing a song.

"Music!" the sisters exclaimed in delight.

"I know!" I gushed, "Isn't it fantastic?! And we're here together!"

The girls screamed and swam out to dance. Adella said, "Boys, here I come!"

As I started dancing, I saw Attina and Andrina still by the entrance looking scared. Attina gave a nervous laugh and said, "Wow… it is… fantastic."

"Yeah," said Andrina, then added, "I'm scared."

"Me, too," Attina admitted.

"I thought I was the only one!"

"No, no, no. It's okay."

"Yeah. Let's just go." Andrina dragged her out to dance. And the band began to sing:

"_Hey Princess_

_In a white dress_

_Chuck Taylor's_

_Got me obsessed_

_Wanna see you, so when can we hang out?"_

Some fish playing tambourines separated to reveal Sebastian dancing. Attina and Andrina exchanged surprised looks. "Sebastian?!" they said simultaneously heading closer to the stage, "Way to go, Sebastian!" The crab continued singing.

"_Hey Princess in a contest_

_You're the queen and you own the rest_

_Someday we're gonna take the crown"_

"Okay, where are the boys?" Adella inquired looking around at the dancers. A giant slug-looking creature came up to her and held out its hand to her. "Are you a boy?" It didn't answer. "Close enough," she said taking its hand and dancing with it. "I'm Adella!"

"_Let's go, let go!_

_Hold on to me oh, oh!_

_Let's go,_

_I'm a let you know!_

_I'll be the one that's storming the castle,_

_We'll be the two hearts beating faster!_

_'Ever you want, 'ever you want, I'm down!_

_I'll be the one that makes you adore me_

_We'll be the two to end the story_

_One that I want, one that I want I found_

_It's your kiss_

_Hey Princess"_

"This is the most exciting thing that's ever happened in my entire life!" Arista exclaimed jumping on stage to watch the saxophone player. He gave her the instrument and she blew a few notes.

"_Hey Princess_

_Be my guest_

_Chase you around, no regrets_

_If I catch you I'll never let you down_

_Let's go, let go!_

_Hold on to me oh, oh!_

_Let's go,_

_I'm a let you know!_

_I'll be the one that's storming the castle,_

_We'll be the two hearts beating faster!_

_'Ever you want, 'ever you want, I'm down!_

_I'll be the one that makes you adore me_

_We'll be the two to end the story_

_One that I want, one that I want I found_

_It's your kiss_

_Hey Princess_

_What if all the stars aligned_

_Could I ever make you mine?_

_When the movie ends we could be the ever after_

_You and I_

_I'm just a boy and you're Cinderella_

_Snow White in blue jeans I'm gonna tell ya_

_'Ever you want 'ever you want I'm down"_

Aquata was sitting down watching everything. A lobster swam up to her and asked her to dance. "No thanks," she said. Another sea creature asked her to dance and her reply was the same as before. Once again, another fish asked her to dance and she finally shouted, "I can't dance, okay?! I am a mermaid with no grace! I look like a spastic piece of kelp!" Andrina and Alana pulled her away from the fish and got her to dance.

"Yeah, she really can't dance," said Andrina when Aquata wasn't listening.

"_I'll be the one that makes you adore me_

_We'll be the two to end the story_

_One that I want one that I want I found_

_I'll be the one that's storming the castle,_

_We'll be the two of hearts beating faster!_

_'Ever you want, 'ever you want, I'm down_

_I'll be the one that makes you adore me_

_We'll be the two to end the story_

_One that I want, one that I want I found_

_It's your kiss_

_Hey Princess"_

"You're right, Aralyne," said Attina, "This is amazing!"

"Yeah!" said Andrina.

"Thanks!" Alana and Aquata chorused.

Adella added, "You're the best!"

* * *

Melody was slowly gliding through the ocean when she heard loud music vibrating from some underground club. Maybe someone in there had seen Aralyne? She followed the music into the club and saw her sisters dancing with Aralyne.

"What?" she gasped gaping at them.

* * *

The band started playing a new song, and all of us were dancing, including Aquata despite how horrible she was.

"ARALYNE!" a voice shouted over the music. Everything became silent and we all stopped and turned to the voice. It was Melody, and she looked furious as she swam our way.

"Hey, Mel!" said Adella with a wide grin.

"Hi, Melody!" said Arista.

"Melody, you're back!" said Aquata.

Ignoring her sisters, Melody came straight to me and slapped me across the face. Everyone in the club gasped.

"Melody!" Attina cried.

"Why would you do that?" Andrina demanded angrily.

I held my burning cheek as Melody glared at me. "Do you have _any idea_ how worried we were about you?!" she shouted at me, "We've been searching for _days!_ And now I find you _here_ completely _fine!_ You couldn't have bothered to send us a _note_ or something to say you weren't in any danger?!" She was now in tears, and I felt a burning sensation in my gut.

"Mel," I said quietly, "I'm so sorry."

"_Sorry?!_" she screeched, "That's all you have to say is, _you're sorry?!_" She turned and darted out of the Catfish Club.

"Melody!" Alana cried swimming after her.

I felt hot ashamed tears flowing down my face.

"Come on, Aralyne," said Arista, taking my hand, "We should go home." The rest of the princesses and I left the Catfish Club and returned to the palace. When we had returned, all of the mermaids explained what had happened at the Catfish Club, and I left them going straight for the bedroom. I gazed at myself in one of the mirrors. _How could I have been so thoughtless? So insensitive?_ I started sobbing. I heard the door open to the bedroom, and I quickly wiped away my tears. Turning to the entrance I saw all of the princesses enter, including Melody. She swam past me and went to her bed.

"Melody," I said trying to talk to her once more.

"Leave me alone," she said.

The other sisters looked between us and didn't say anything. They then swam to their beds, leaving me alone. I went and sat on the window sill staring out into the ocean. After about half an hour, I looked back to see everyone sleeping. Even with Melody asleep, I could still feel the tension between us. I plucked another flower from the vine and sniffed it. With Melody still angry at me, I couldn't stay in this room. I'd find someone else to stay with for the night; maybe Flounder or Urchin. I placed the flower on Ariel's bed, and swam out of the room. While swimming through the dark palace alone, I suddenly felt something hit me on the back of the head, and the last thing I saw was Marina Del Ray floating above me with a seashell in her hand….

* * *

Sebastian was talking to King Triton and Queen Athena when Attina came in holding the flower that was on Aralyne's bed and shouting, "Daddy! Aralyne's missing!"

"What?!" cried Athena as she and Triton rose from their thrones.

"We can't find her, we've looked everywhere!" Attina explained.

"Marina's missing, too," Melody said entering the throne room. Despite the fact that she was angry at Aralyne for being insensitive to everyone's feelings, she really was worried about her friend, "Up on land, many villains kept trying to kidnap Aralyne, and Marina may be a part of this!"

"Don't worry," said Triton, placing a hand on Melody's shoulder, "We'll find her. Guards!" Several swordfish arrived and saluted, "Search every inch of Atlantica, find Aralyne!" The swordfish swam off and Triton, Athena, Melody, and Attina left to go search, too."

* * *

When I had woken up, I found myself in a blue vastness. I couldn't see any other sea creature around for miles. My head was throbbing, and when I tried to reach up and check my head, I found my arms tied behind my back, and I had been gagged with kelp. Even though it didn't look like I was moving, I was being dragged through the ocean. I wiggled around until I could see Marina Del Ray dragging me through the ocean. Glaring at her, I started chewing on the sea kelp and scrunched up my nose at how salty it was. Finally, the gag broke, and I spat out the pieces in my mouth.

"_What_ is going on?!" I demanded, "Where are you taking me?"

"To the Evil One, of course," Marina replied glancing over her shoulder at me. When she faced forward once again, she suddenly stopped, and I slammed into her back.

"Ouch," I said wincing as my head started throbbing even more, "What was that for?" I demanded glancing back at her. I froze as we stared at a great white shark grinning at us showing all of its sharp rows of teeth.

"Hello," it said in an Australian accent. A small squeak escaped my lips. "Name's Bruce," he said holding out a fin to us. Marina pulled back dragging me along. "It's all right, I understand; why trust a shark, right?" he said pulling away and putting his back to us. He suddenly spun around and clamped his jaws before us. Marina screamed as a tooth scraped her arm, and I let out another squeak. Bruce laughed before continuing, "So, what's a couple of bites like you doing out so late, eh?" I watched in silent horror as blood from Marina's arm floated up towards Bruce. He sniffed the blood, and his grin widened as his eyes turned a jet black, "Oh, that's good!" He lunged at us, and Marina released me, swimming away in fright. When I had been shoved aside, Bruce's teeth had sliced through my bondage, and I was now free – I was also alone with a mindless eating machine. He swam after me, and I dodged. I could feel him in hot pursuit behind me. I wanted to scream for help, but who would hear me way out here in the middle of nowhere?

Suddenly, a hammerhead shark, and a mako shark were right before me and I halted. I was surrounded by sharks! The hammerhead and mako swam past me and held down Bruce. "Just a bite!" Bruce roared.

"You've got to remember," said the mako shark, "Fish are friends, not food!"

"Food!" roared Bruce. I backed away in horror as he struggled against the other sharks' hold on him.

"Are you all right?" I heard a voice say behind me. I swiveled around to see a Pacific regal blue tang, "There, there. It's all right. It'll be okay."

"Um, hi," I said, keeping a wary eye on the sharks, "I'm lost. Can you tell me how to find Atlantica?"

"Atlantica?" she said, "It's a really pretty City. Hi, I'm Dory!"

"I'm Aralyne," I replied, "Which way is Atlantica?"

"Oo! Uh, it's this way!" she said pointing to her left, "It's this way! Follow me!" She swam away from the sharks, and I was more than happy to follow her.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!" I said.

Dory replied, "No problem!" I followed her in silence for a while, then she started swimming back and forth with a smile on her face. When she faced me, she suddenly straightened out and kept swimming ahead. I gave her a confused look, but didn't say anything. She looked back at me, then suddenly gave a sharp turn, gaining in speed. I moved my fin trying to keep up with her. She started doing weird zigzag patterns and swam in circles.

"Hey!" I cried out losing my breath, "Wait!"

She suddenly stopped and faced me. "Will you quit it?"

I skidded to a halt before I could slam into her. "What?"

"I'm trying to swim here," she said, "What? The ocean not big enough for you, or something like that? You got a problem, buddy? Huh? Huh? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?" She was up in my face and I backed up a little. "Oo! Look at me! Oo! I'm scared now! Stop following me okay?"

"What are you talking about?" I inquired in confusion, "You're showing me where Atlantica is!"

"Atlantica? It's a really pretty city! It's um," she looked around a bit, "It's this way! It's this way! Follow me!" she started swimming away again.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" I cried swimming before her and making her stop, "What is going on? You already told me which way Atlantica is!"

"I did?" she replied sounding confused and surprised, "Oh no. I'm so sorry. You see I – I suffer from short-term memory loss."

I gaped at her. _You've got to be kidding me!_ "Short-term memory loss?"

"It's true, I forget things almost instantly," she explained, "It runs in my family. Well, at least I think it does." She turned to the side with fin on her lips, thinking. "Where are they?" Dory suddenly turned back to me and smiled, "Can I help you?"

I silently groaned. _Great! Now how am I going to find my way back to Atlantica?_ "Hello," said a clownfish swimming up to us and beside him was a tiny clownfish with a small fin on his right side. "I'm Marlin, and this is my son, Nemo. Please excuse Dory. If you're lost we can help you."

"Oh, please?" I said, "I'm trying to find my way back to Atlantica."

"First," said Nemo, "We have to get to the E.A.C. – the East Australian Current!" Marlin, Dory, and Nemo swam off and I followed them.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Marlin, Dory, and Nemo had taken me to the E.A.C. and I was now riding on the back of a giant sea turtle named Crush. Marlin was off talking to some other turtle, while Nemo and Dory were playing hide-and-seek with the baby turtles.

"Thanks for the ride, Crush," I said lounging on my stomach.

The turtle smiled at me and said, "We know the whole thing, dude! Jelly-man told us. First you were all like _'whoa!'_, and then we were like '_whoa!_', and then you were like '_whoa'_."

I gave him a confused look. "Um, what?"

"You, mini mermaid," Crush replied, "Takin' on the sharks! You got serious thrill issues, dude! Awesome!"

"Um… thanks… I think," I said. I looked around to see other turtles riding the current with us, and a couple of fish entered the group.

"'Kay, grab shell, dude!" said Crush.

"Grab what?" I said, but I found out right away what he meant. The current suddenly dove down like a rollercoaster, and I clutched onto his shell to keep from flying off. We rose up again, and rode the E.A.C. in fast twisting currents.

I laughed in delight as Crush shouted out, "Righteous! Righteous! Yeah!" When the ride had smoothed out again to a slow drift, I released Crush and floated above him as he flipped over on his back. "So," he said lazily, "How are you enjoying the E.A.C.?"

"This is fantastic!" I gushed looking around at the other sea turtles. One of the adults was swinging several babies around. The baby at the very bottom of the swing, flew right by and out of the current. "Oh, no!" I gasped heading towards him, but Crush held me back.

"Whoa! Kill the motor, dude! Let us see what Squirt does flying solo."

I bit my lip in worry staring at the baby sea turtle outside the current. Squirt suddenly dove back in, did a couple of flips before swimming our way. "Whoa! That was so cool!" Squirt cried, "Hey, Dad, did you see that?! Did you see me?! Did you see what I did?!"

"You so totally rock, Squirt!" Crush shouted, he then held his fin out as if he wanted a high-five. "Now, give me some fin." Squirt slapped it. "Noggin." They bumped heads.

"Dude!" Crush and Squirt shouted at the same time.

Crush then looked at me. "Oh! Intro! Mermaid, offspring. Offspring, mermaid. She took on some sharks."

"Sharks?!" Squirt shouted, "Sweet!"

"Totally," Crush agreed.

"You rock, dude!" Squirt said swimming up to me and knocking his tiny head against mine making me giggle.

Nemo, Marlin, and Dory returned to my side, and Marlin said, "It's almost time to get off."

After a few minutes, Crush said, "All right, we're here, dudes! Get ready! Your exit's comin' up, man!"

"Where?" I inquired, "I don't see it."

"Right there! I see it! I see it!" Dory shouted pointing to a part of the current that broke off from the rest in a swirl.

"The swirling vortex of terror," Marlin said eyeing it.

"That's it, dude!" Crush shouted.

"Of course it is," I mused with a slight grin. These turtles were so adventurous that anything thrilling didn't really surprise me, and I was actually excited about this.

Crush then began giving us instructions, "Okay, first: find your exit buddy!" Dory grabbed Marlin and Nemo swam up to me. I cupped him in my hands, "Do you have your exit buddy?"

"Yes!" Dory shouted.

"Okay," said Crush, "Squirt here will now give you a rundown of proper exiting technique!"

Squirt floated before us and said, "Good afternoon, we're gonna have a great jump today! Okay, crank a hard cutback as you hit the wall! There's a screaming bottom turn, so watch out! Remember: rip it, roll it and punch it!"

"What?" I said staring at the cute baby turtle.

Crush then said, "Okay, mermaid! Go, go, go, go, go, go!" He pushed us into the swirling vortex of terror, and I found myself spinning around very swiftly. I hugged Nemo close so he wouldn't fly away and we both screamed and laughed at the fun ride.

"That was awesome!" I shouted once we had slowed to a stop and I had released Nemo.

Marlin was laughing. "That was… fun! Ha ha! I actually enjoyed that!"

"Hey, look!" Dory shouted, "Turtles!" She started waving at them and I giggled.

Crush was laughing as well. "Ha ha! Most excellent! Now, turn your fishy tails 'round and swim straight on through to Atlantica! No worries, man!"

"Thank you!" I shouted out waving to him and Squirt.

My companions and I faced the right direction and swam off towards Atlantica. It wasn't long until we had reached the city.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" I shouted scooping the fish into my hands and kissing all three of them.

"You're welcome," said Nemo with a wide smile.

"Great meeting you," said Marlin.

"'Bye!" Dory said waving at me. I swam off into the city, and the first person I ran into was Flounder.

"Aralyne!" he shouted out swimming towards me. I caught him in my arms and held him close as we did a sort of summersault.

Others must have heard his cry because other sea creatures came over to see what was going on. The royal family arrived and Queen Athena gave me a hug. I stiffened in surprise.

"My goodness, where have you been?" she inquired holding me at arm's length and observing me from head to fin.

"Aralyne!" Melody shouted swimming up to us, and also giving me a hug, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"You're not angry with me?" I asked, staring down at her.

"Aralyne," she said pulling away, "You're my best friend. When you had disappeared this time, I had gotten worried."

"It's true," said Attina placing hands on Melody's shoulders, "She was practically in hysterics."

"What happened?" Arista inquired.

I took a deep breath and told them everything starting with leaving the bedroom after Melody had been upset with me and ending with leaving Marlin, Nemo, and Dory outside of Atlantica. The moment I had finished my anecdote, Marina Del Ray arrived with her wounded arm bandaged to keep from attracting more sharks. Everyone stared at her, and she gaped at me with her mouth open. Her gaze went back and forth between me and Triton, before putting on a faux smile and said, "Your Highness."

"Guards," Triton said, "Arrest her." Swordfish surrounded Marina and took her away to the dungeon.

When that was taken care of, I said, "Thank you, King Triton and Queen Athena, for your hospitality, but I'm afraid I must return to the world above."

"Of course," said Athena with a smile.

Melody grinned and said, "I'll see you up there then. I have to go tell Captain Amelia I had found you." Hearing that made me cringe as I remembered my selfishness. "'Bye, Mom! 'Bye, Dad! 'Bye everyone!" said Melody before she soared up towards the surface.

"Come," said King Triton leading me away from the group.

"'Bye," I said waving to everyone, "It was great meeting all of you!"

King Triton led me out of Atlantica and we swam for a while until we reached the surface. I could see we weren't very far from Nesidy, about a mile down the beach really. Captain Amelia had docked her ship and I could see everyone from the crew standing on the beach waiting for me. I swam up to a rock and sat upon it, staring at my friends. What was I going to tell everyone? I had to apologize for being insensitive and not telling them I was okay. I felt a warm sensation on my fin and looked down to see it engulfed in a golden light. Turning towards the source, I saw King Triton pointing his trident right at me and I grinned. I dove back into the water one last time right as I felt my fin turn into feet. Standing up on the sandy floor, and wearing a sparkly silver dress, I walked up towards shore my head breaking through the surface. When I was nearly out of the water, Eric ran towards me, lifted me up into the air and spun me around in a circle before setting me back on my feet and kissing me.

"You're okay," he moaned pulling away and resting his forehead against mine.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said with a grin. Everyone else from the ship ran towards me giving me a hug.

After I had confirmed time and again that I wasn't hurt and that I was okay, they all led me back into Nesidy where everyone showed up and asked the exact same questions. Finally Grandpa broke through the crowd.

"You must be tired of hearing this, young one, but are you all right? What happened?" he inquired.

I finally told them my whole story. I told them about Ariel shoving me into the ocean; I told them about turning into a mermaid and being dragged into the sea witches' lair; I explained (very ashamed I might add) wanting to stay in Atlantica for a couple of days and my thoughtlessness about not giving them a note saying I was fine; I also told them about Marina Del Ray kidnapping me and my run-in with the sharks; I told them about finding my way back to Atlantica using the E.A.C., and finally ending with Triton turning me human. "I'm sorry," I said lowering my head in shame, "for all of the worry I caused. I was stupid and wasn't thinking."

"Yes, your actions were childish," said Grandpa making me lower my head even more, "But you're safe, and that's all that counts."

I lifted up my head and gave a sheepish grin. Looking around at everyone, I realized someone was missing. "Where's Ariel?" I inquired.

"She has been arrested for her crime against you," Grandpa explained.

_Crime? Wow, I know she didn't mean it by the way she had apologized before shoving me into the ocean, but being arrested seemed a little harsh._ "Oh, but…. Please, Grandpa, I don't hold this against her. Will you set her free?"

Grandpa studied me for a minute, and I bit my lip in anticipation. "You have a good heart, Aralyne," he finally said, "Very well, I will release her. Captain Phoebus, release Ariel." Captain Phoebus left, and Grandpa began leaving, too.

"Thank you, Grandpa," I said with a smile before he could get too far. He soon disappeared within the crowd.

A few minutes later, Phoebus had brought back Ariel and she stared at me a little scared. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so, so sorry. I'll go back to Atlantica."

"No," said Dimitri breaking through the crowd and running towards Ariel. He wrapped his arms around her and continued, "I don't want you to leave. Please stay. I… I love you."

Ariel's eyes filled with tears and she tried to blink them back. "Dimitri," she said, "I love you, too, but I don't think I should stay after what I did to Aralyne." She pulled away from him and stood there looking forlorn.

"Hey," I said taking her hand and smiling, "It's okay. I forgive you." Ariel burst into tears and wrapped her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder, "I would really like to be your friend, Ariel, so stay and we'll get to know each other." She nodded and returned to Dimitri's embrace.

The crowd broke up discussing the events that had happened, and I moved over to Eric. "Hey," he said, "I've got to clean up on the ship, so I'll see you in a bit, okay?" I nodded and he gave me a quick kiss before leaving.

Now left alone, I began heading towards the Benbow Inn to apologize to Mrs. Hawkins for my disappearance.

"So, you're back," I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I spun around to see…

"Danny," I said with a wide grin, but I felt it falter when I saw he was slightly upset. "Danny, what's wrong?"

"You said you won't date me because you're five years older than me," he replied.

_This again?_ "Danny I –"

"_Dimitri,_" he said cutting me off, "is four years older than Ariel. If they can make it work, why can't we?!"

"That's completely different," I said, "_They_ are from here, _I'm_ not! I can't stay here forever, Danny, and I wouldn't want anyone to leave their home for me!" Danny shook his head, suddenly cupped my face, and kissed me full on the lips. I felt my breath catch in my throat, and I wasn't going to lie, I enjoyed this more than kissing Eric. "Danny," I said quietly when he had pulled away. I felt tears running down my face. "I'm sorry…. I just can't."

"I know I said we could be friends," he said releasing me and gazing right into my eyes, "But if there's _any_ chance for us, then I'm _not_ going to give up." He turned into his Phantom form and flew off leaving me on the street crying….


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

It's been several days (how long have I been here? A month? Several months?) since my adventures under the sea as a mermaid. I was now on a camping trip with Prince Naveen, Eric, Danny, Kim Possible, and Kayley. True to his word, Danny was being persistent in trying to win my heart, and I tried so hard to ignore his advances. All six of us were on a hike, and I was sticking close to the girls. Danny's advances were annoying Eric and I could tell they were ready to start a fight.

"Will you leave her alone?!" Eric suddenly yelled out at Danny as they stopped.

"Why don't you make me?!" Danny retaliated.

"Don't you get the hint?! She's not interested in a little kid!"

"Wow," said Kayley into my ear, "I wish boys would fight over me." I glanced at her in surprise and saw a look there, a kind of sad wanting look. And it was aimed at Danny. My eyebrows rose in interest, but I didn't make a comment on this discovery.

"Boys!" Kim yelled breaking their argument, "Will you two shut up?!"

"She's right," said Naveen, "You could attract some sort of wild animal with all the noise you're making."

"Or," said a female with long white hair stepping out of from behind some trees, "attract the attention of those that live here in the woods." Other people came out, too, with dark skin. A beautiful young woman with long black hair, and a young teenager. "My name is Kidagakash. And this is my cousin, Pocahontas, and her little sister Tiger Lily."

"Achidanza!" said Naveen his eyes widening as he stared at Kidagakash. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Naveen."

"Wow, so Ki… Kidagaschnaga," said Danny fumbling over her name, "Hey, uh, you got a nickname?"

Kidagakash laughed, "Kida."

"Kida," Danny finally said, "Are there more of you that live out here in the woods?"

"There are many of us," said Tiger Lily, circling us girls and observing us. She lifted up a strand of Kim's red locks. "I like your hair. It looks like fire."

"Thank you," Kim said with a smile.

"Come," said Pocahontas motioning for us to follow her, "We'll show you our village if you like." My companions and I exchanged glances before nodding our consent. We followed the girls through the forest and found ourselves at a village full of huts and temples. There were dozens of people with dark skin and either black or white hair.

The village leader, an old man with white hair, came up to us, and said, "Welcome to our village. I am King Kashekim Nedakh, Kidagakash's father."

"Hello," I said with a smile, and placed a hand on my chest, "I'm Aralyne, and these are my friends." I motioned to each person as I said their name. "Kim, Kayley, Eric, Naveen, and Danny."

"Your village is beautiful," said Kayley staring around at the different buildings.

"Welcome," said a loud booming voice, and we turned to see a man walking down some temple steps towards us. When he had reached our side, he continued, "I am Tzekel-Kan, the high priest. Please, see the sights, enjoy yourselves." He grinned at us in a creepy way and his gaze lingered on me. I had to suppress a shiver and scooted closer to Kim.

Two males came up to us, and gently took hold of Kim's and Kayley's hands. "Come with us, we'll give you a tour," said one of them then introduced himself and his companion, "I am Denahi, and this is my older brother, Sitka."

Two more people came up to us, a man and a woman.

"My name is Nakoma," said the woman.

"And I am Kokoum," said the man.

Nakoma took hold of Danny's hand, while Kokoum took mine.

"Come on," said Tiger Lily skipping ahead of us. We started leaving for the tour when I noticed that Eric wasn't following us.

"Eric," I said turning to him expectantly, "Aren't you coming?"

"I'll catch up," he said with a smile, "I just wanted to surprise you with something first."

I could feel myself blush. "Eric, you don't have to get me anything."

"I want to," he replied, then kissed me before leaving.

Danny narrowed his eyes at us and pulled out of Nakoma's grasp. "I'll go get you something, too, Aralyne," he said before turning into his Phantom form and flying off around the village.

"Danny!" I called out to him, but he ignored me.

"Forget them," said Naveen, his eyes still on Kida, "Let's just go."

The villagers began giving us a tour of their home.

* * *

Tzekel-Kan had returned to his temple and his daughter Chel was lounging about on a piece of furniture. "So who are the visitors?" she inquired playing with her hair.

"None other than the girl we've been wanting," said Tzekel-Kan's minion entering the temple and wearing his cloak.

"You've been following her around for weeks," said Tzekel-Kan, "When will you destroy her trust by giving her to me?"

"Soon," said the minion, "Very soon. In fact, if everything goes smoothly, then I shall present her to you tonight."

"I look forward to it," said the villain with an evil laugh.

"Hurry back," said Chel winking at the minion. The cloaked figure turned and left the temple.

* * *

Both Eric and Danny arrived at the exact same time each carrying different gifts for me. I could feel myself blush and I just wanted to die! Danny had a bouquet of flowers and a wreath made of the same flowers. He handed me the bouquet and placed the wreath on my head like a crown.

"Oh, um, Danny… you… shouldn't have," I said staring down at the golden flowers in my arms. I glanced up at Kayley to see her eyeing the flowers with a somewhat sad look. Her gaze lifted up to meet mine and she gave me a small smile.

Eric gently spun me around lifted up my hair, and I felt something cold touch my collar bone. Looking down I gasped. It was a silver chain and on the chain was a silver heart with the words "I love you" engraved on it. "I bought it from one of the villagers," he said.

"Oh, Eric," I said facing him. I didn't know what to say. The fact he had given me this necklace with those words was beyond surprising. And to be honest, I'm not sure how I felt about it. Yes, I did care for him, but did I love him? I shot a glance at Danny who was red with anger. And there was Danny of course. When he kissed me, I loved that more than Eric kissing me, but I had made it clear to Danny that nothing would happen between us. My gaze shifted over to Kayley. From the expressions I saw today, it didn't take a genius to figure out that she had feelings for Danny. I took a deep breath and smiled glancing back and forth between Eric and Danny. "Thank you, both of you, for the gifts. They're beautiful."

"Come on," said Sitka, "Let's finish the tour." We began walking again passing by the woods a bit. The trees began to shift and we heard a bit of rustling from the wilderness. Suddenly a big, black, scarred bear covered in spears broke through the trees with a roar. "Mor'du," Sitka said as the villagers aimed their spears at the bear. Behind Mor'du was a lion with a black mane and a scar over his left eye (three guesses who), a griffin, and a purple striped cat with a large grin floating in mid-air. To be honest, the creature that freaked me out the most was the grinning cat. Talk about creepy! I've always _hated_ the Cheshire Cat.

"Hand over the girl," said Scar sounding regal, "And we'll let you live."

The villagers exchanged confused glances but didn't lower their weapons. My friends all stood before me looking defiant.

"Not a chance," Eric growled in anger.

"You'll have to go through us first," Danny added.

The Griffin gave a malicious sneer, jumped into the air, swooped down, and snatched me in his claws. I screamed as he began flying through the sky taking me away from the village. My friends were calling out my name and I saw Danny flying towards me. I had dropped the bouquet of flowers, and with my hands now free, I reached out for Danny. Our outstretched hands finally connected and he and I became intangible. Danny pulled me closer and I held onto him as we became solid again. As he flew us back to the village, I was looking back at the Griffin who was enraged and came back for me.

His tail flew towards us, and I shouted, "Danny, look out!" But it was too late. The Griffin's tail connected with the ghost boy and we were tossed through the air. Danny didn't have time to turn intangible and he slammed into a tree. We crashed through the branches and finally landed in a heap on the ground. I looked down to see my hero was unconscious. "Danny?" I said shaking his shoulder, "Danny!" Kayley, Eric, Kim, Pocahontas, and Kida burst through the trees looking frantic.

"No!" Kayley yelled coming to us and collapsing at our side. "Come on, Danny, wake up," she said lightly slapping his cheeks.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Still fighting Mor'du, the Cheshire Cat, and Scar," Pocahontas replied, "What happened to the Griffin?"

"I'm right here," the Griffin roared breaking through the tree tops and aiming for me with one of his claws. Eric, Pocahontas, Kida, and Kim fought the Griffin with their weapons while I watched from Danny's side. Kayley was still preoccupied with trying to revive Danny. Finally, Kim took hold of Kida's spear, jumped into the air, did a couple of flips, and stabbed the Griffin through the neck. The giant creature collapsed to the ground, dead and gushing out blood. Gagging, I turned my head away in disgust.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked helping me to my feet and holding on to me.

"Yes," I replied staring down at the unconscious ghost, "But we have to get Danny back to the village to make sure he's okay."

Eric let out an irritated sigh and released me. He then lifted Danny into his arms, and carried him back into the village. The rest of us followed, and arrived in time to see the others finishing off Scar. Mor'du was already dead on the ground, and the Cheshire Cat was avoiding everyone's attacks. With Scar now dead as well, the Cheshire Cat looked around at all of us for a moment before vanishing into thin air. Kokoum took Danny from Eric and took him to the medicine man with Kayley following closely behind.

As our tour guides, Kim, Eric, and Naveen began explaining what had happened, I went over to the hut where Danny was being treated. I was just in time to see him wake up.

Kayley was running her fingers through his hair and gently caressed his cheek. "Come on, Danny, wake up," she said quietly. The Phantom lifted up his hand and caught Kayley's, holding it. Danny's eyes slowly opened and his gaze locked with Kayley's.

"You have very pretty eyes," he muttered. I stuck close to the wall not wanting to interrupt this scene and bit my lip to keep from making any sound.

"Hey," she said with a smile, "How are you feeling?"

He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Fine," he replied, "What happened? Where's Aralyne? Is she okay?"

Kayley's smile faltered. "Aralyne's fine." She turned away from him with a sad look, and saw me. I motioned for her to continue talking to him.

"I'd better go check on her," he said about to leave his cot.

"N-no!" Kayley shouted placing a hand on his shoulder. She quickly leaned forward and kissed him. When she had pulled away Danny was staring at her in surprise.

"What was that for?" he asked quietly. Kayley turned red and looked away from him. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"Because she likes you," I said stepping forward.

"Aralyne," he said looking almost scared, "I –"

I held up a hand, cutting him off. "It's okay, Danny," I said with a smile, "I would actually prefer it that you were with Kayley. Just give it – _her_ – a chance." Danny nodded and Kayley gave me a grateful smile.

"Someone's got to tell Grandpa about what happened," said Kayley playing with her ponytail.

"I'll go," said Danny, then looked at Kayley and said, "Would you like to go with me?" She grinned and nodded.

"I'll go, too," said Kim entering the hut, "Grandpa's going to need a full report."

Danny got up and we left the hut. After grabbing the girls by the hand, Danny flew off back towards Nesidy.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

_(I have just been asked why Danny and Dani are in my story since this is Disney. Truth is, it was supposed to be just Disney at first, but I decided to add other genres and I really like how this is going. So, ignore the fact I mentioned it was a Disney story at the beginning. Enjoy!)_

Yzma and Kronk had been watching Aralyne and her friends when they had entered the village. They had even witnessed the kidnapping attempt by the other villains. "We need to get that girl," said Yzma as she and Kronk were ducking behind a building and watching the girl leave the medicine hut. "We'll need to kidnap her when she's alone, and no one will know we had done it. The only ones who will know about that are the three of us, soon to be the two of us."

"And I'm one of those two, right?" asked Kronk looking a little worried about being left out of her plan.

"To the secret lab!" Yzma shouted running into a nearby temple and Kronk followed her. They went deep into the temple and came upon a dead end hall way with a statue on the wall. The statue was a monster head that had two bottom fangs sticking up into the air. "Pull the lever, Kronk." Kronk pulled the fang on the far left and the floor opened up beneath Yzma. "Wrong lever!" she shouted falling into the whole.

There was a faint splash, and Kronk stared down into the whole. "Huh?"

A wall opened up to the side, and Yzma came back in soaking wet with a crocodile attached to her butt. "Why do we even have that lever?" she muttered smacking the croc in the face. It yelped like a dog and scurried back through the wall before it shut again. "Get out of my way!" She walked past Kronk and pulled the fang on the right. The wall and floor flipped and the two villains were tossed into a cart sort of like a roller coaster.

"Please remain seated and keep your arms and legs in at all times," said a mechanical male voice.

The coaster dropped at breakneck speed and did many twists and turns. Kronk shouted out in delight, "Faster, faster! Yzma, put your hands in the air!" Yzma just sat there looking bored. When the ride had stopped, Kronk and Yzma were thrown out of the cart and landed on their feet wearing white lab coats and black goggles and gloves. They high-fived and ran to Yzma's chemistry set.

"Ah, how shall I do it?" said Yzma in evil delight, "Oh, I know. I'll turn her into a flea, a harmless little flea... and then I'll put that flea in a box and then I'll put that box inside of another box... and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives... I'll present it to the Evil One! It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, I tell you! Genius, I say!" In her excitement, she had knocked over a vial and the contents were spilled all over the floor. A mouse running by stopped beside the puddle and drank a few drops before falling over in a deep sleep. Yzma had watched the mouse and her grin widened. "Or, to save on postage, I'll just drug her with this." She held up another vial that was on her desk. "Take it, Kronk. Feel the power."

Kronk held the vial and replied, "Oh, I can feel it."

"Our moment of triumph approaches!" Yzma cried before laughing maniacally. "It's dinnertime!"

* * *

The villagers had invited, Eric, Naveen, and me to dinner and we had accepted their offer. Everything was delicious and everyone was friendly, but when Yzma or Tzekel-Kan got anywhere close to me, I pressed myself up against Eric and he would wrap his arm around me in a protective way. After we had eaten, the guys and I were going to go back to our camp, but Yzma had pulled us aside.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you would like to come to my temple for a small celebration. It's not often we get visitors to our village," she said. Her henchman, Kronk stood right behind her.

"Sure," replied Eric, and I hesitantly nodded, still sticking to his side.

"Why not?" said Naveen with a shrug, then said to Kida, "Will you be joining us?"

"In a moment," she said with a smile, "I need to speak with my father for a minute. I'll meet you there." Kida left us with Kronk and Yzma.

Yzma led us to her temple, and said to Kronk, "So, is everything ready for tonight?"

"Oh, yeah," said Kronk, "I thought we'd start off with soup and a light salad, and then see how we feel after that."

My companions and I exchanged glances. We weren't hungry after eating so much dinner just minutes ago, but it was rude to decline.

"Not the dinner," said Yzma, "The, you know..." She shot us a glance and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Okay, that was weird. What could she be trying to hide?

"Oh, right. The dru –" Kronk began, but Yzma had elbowed him in the stomach. Okay, that was _beyond_ suspicious! There was a nagging feeling in my gut telling me to run, but I ignored it. "Got you covered," said Kronk.

"Excellent!" said Yzma clasping her hands together. We entered the temple and ended up in some sort of dining room. We all sat around a table with me in between Naveen and Eric. "Kronk, get them drinks."

"Drinks. Right," said Kronk winking at Yzma.

"Is something burning?" Eric inquired his nose up in the air.

Kronk gasped. "My spinach puffs!" He ran out of the dining room.

I felt a little awkward and tried starting some sort of conversation. "So, um, your temple is really nice," I said with a forced smile.

"Thank you. You're too kind," said Yzma also with a smile as forced as mine.

"Saved 'em!" Kronk said returning with a plate of spinach puffs.

"That's great. Good job," said Naveen.

"Great! Very good job," added Yzma.

"Watch it. They're still hot," said Kronk as Eric reached out to grab a puff.

"Kronk," said Yzma, "The guests need their drinks."

"Right. Oh. Right," said Kronk giving her another wink. He left once again and returned in about a minute with three glasses and a pitcher of a pink liquid. "Well... Oh, uh... The drinks are a bit on the... oh, uh, warm side," he said pouring us drinks and handing them to us. He then poured Yzma a glass and handed it to her.

"A toast to our visitors!" said Yzma raising her glass, "May you have long happy lives!"

My companions and I drank our beverages, and I loved how sweet it was, almost like tea.

"Ah! Tasty!" said Naveen with relish. Eric's head suddenly flopped down on the table, and I opened my mouth to cry out, but no sound came out. Naveen slumped over in his chair and I watched in horror as he transformed into a frog. The room started spinning, and I had a hard time focusing as I lowered my own head onto the table. I could hear Yzma and Kronk speaking, though.

"Finally! Good work, Kronk!"

"Oh, they're so easy to make. I'll get you the recipe," he replied picking up his plate of spinach puffs.

"Now to get rid of the boys' bodies and take Aralyne to the Evil One!" Yzma exclaimed.

"N-no," I managed to mumble out. I felt a little funny and suddenly everything seemed so much larger than me.

"What? A frog? She's supposed to be unconscious!" Yzma roared staring down at me. _What?! Frog?!_

"Yeah, weird," said Kronk.

"Let me see that vial," Yzma demanded. Kronk handed her the container and she got a good look at the tag. "This isn't a sleeping potion. This is extract of frog!" she said in exasperation.

"You know, in my defense, your potions all look alike. You might think about relabeling some of them," said Kronk.

"Wait," Yzma said staring at Eric, "Why is this one unconscious and these two are frogs?" She thought about it for a moment and answered her own question. "_That _glass was supposed to be for the girl, wasn't it? Never mind. Take the boys out of town and finish the job with the girl now!" She grabbed Naveen and me (who was wide awake, I was glad to see) and threw us into separate cages. I cleared my head and glared at them.

"What about my spinach puffs?" Kronk inquired.

"Kronk, this is kind of important," Yzma said in exasperation.

"How about dessert?" he asked.

"Well, I suppose there's time for dessert," Yzma mused.

"And coffee?" Kronk said hopefully.

"All right. A quick cup of coffee. Then take them out of town and finish the job!" she agreed.

At that moment Kida came in and froze when she saw Eric unconscious. The two villains were stunned to see her, and looked at each other for help.

"Kida!" I yelled waving my froggy arms above my head. Her attention turned to me and her eyes widened in surprise, "It's me, Aralyne! They turned me and Naveen into frogs! Help us!" Kida lunged towards them to fight, and let me tell you that was one of the shortest fights I've ever seen. It didn't even last a minute! 30 seconds at the most! Well, both Kronk and Yzma had been knocked unconscious and Kida was releasing Naveen and me from our cages.

"Achidanza!" Naveen exclaimed staring up at Kida with admiring eyes, "You are incredible!"

"Will you two be fine while I get help?" Kida asked. Naveen and I nodded and she left.

I clumsily hopped my way over to Eric and slapped his cheek. He groaned and sat back up, rubbing his head and blinking at me with sleepy eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Aralyne?" he said in bewilderment finally blinking the sleep out of his eyes and staring down at me. "_Why _are you a frog? _What_ happened?"

"Kronk and Yzma slipped us potions," I said, "_I _was supposed to get the drug, and _you_ were supposed to get the frog potion. It was a plot to send me to the Evil One. But don't worry, I'm sure the villagers will be able to set me and Naveen right again."

Kida finally returned with the King, Kokoum, Sitka, and Denahi. I explained to them what had happened, and Yzma and Kronk were arrested. "They shall be locked up for a long time," said the King when Sitka and Kokoum dragged the unconscious villains out of the temple.

"Please," said Naveen, "Can you turn us back into humans?"

"I'm afraid I don't know how," said the King shaking his head, "You'll have to find someone else to help you. There is a voodoo lady named Mama Odie who may be able to change you back. Her home is a boat in a tree in the bayou, not far from here, about two day's journey."

"Great," I muttered flopping down onto my behind, "Looks like we'll be like this for a couple of days, Naveen."

Eric picked up Naveen and me and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. We'll set out tomorrow morning."

We left the temple, and made our way to the village, returning to our camp site. We only had two tents pitched up; one for the boys, and one for the girls, but since half of our group had returned to Nesidy, Eric tore down the girls' tent and we were all to stay in the same tent. I curled up in a corner of the tent and fell fast asleep.

* * *

Tzekel-Kan's minion had returned to the high priest's temple.

"Oh," said Chel coming up to him and circling him. Standing behind him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and started massaging him. "You're back so soon," she crooned. He relaxed in her grip and enjoyed her touch.

Tzekel-Kan came towards them and said, "Where is the girl? You said you would hand her over tonight!"

"Then you must not have heard," said the minion pulling away from Chel so as not to be distracted, "Yzma had turned her into a frog."

"_What?!_" Tzekel-Kan roared smacking his minion across the face. The minion had stumbled backwards and the hood of his cloak fell revealing his identity. Eric stared up at Tzekel-Kan as the villain continued, "How could you let this happen?! The Evil One wants her as a _human_ because she's at least some use to us in that form! As a frog, she's useless!"

"The frog potion was meant for me," Eric explained, "But don't worry. We are heading out tomorrow morning to find Mama Odie and turn her human again. I swear I'll hand her over to you as soon as we return."

"And how long will that take?" Tzekel-Kan growled.

"About half a week," said Eric.

"Fine!" shouted out Tzekel-Kan, "Get out of my sight!"

Eric nodded, turned on his heel, and left, pulling the hood of the cloak back over his head.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

_(Songs in this chapter are "I Wanna Know You" by Hannah Montana – or Miley Cyrus, whichever you prefer to call her – and David Archuleta, and "When We're Human" – with a few alterations – from the movie "The Princess and the Frog".)_

After packing up our camp, Eric began walking through the woods towards Mama Odie's house with Naveen and me sitting on his shoulder. Several hours had gone by and Naveen was becoming restless.

"I wish I had my guitar," Naveen moaned, "So that we at least had some music to travel by." He was sitting down and had his chin (do frogs even have chins?) in the palm of his hand. His eyes widened and he turned to me, "Aralyne, why don't you sing us a song? Come on, I'll even sing with you!"

"Oh, um, I guess so," I agreed with a nod. I then wracked my brain for a song we could sing together. I started singing and Naveen joined in at the right moments.

"_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_When I saw you over there_

_I didn't mean to stare_

_But my mind was everywhere_

_I wanna know you_

_Gonna guess that you're the kind_

_To say what's on your mind_

_But you listen when I have somethin' to show you_

_There's a mark above your eye_

_You got it in July_

_Fighting for your sister's reputation_

_You remember people's names_

_And Valentine's are lame_

_So you'll bring me flowers just for no occasion_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Whoa-oh, oh, oh, I wanna know you_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Whoa-oh, oh, oh, I wanna go there_

_Where you go_

_I wanna find out what you know_

_And maybe someday down the road_

_Sit back and say to myself_

_Yeah, I thought so_

_You smile, never shout_

_You stand out in a crowd_

_And make the best of every situation_

_Correct me if I'm wrong_

_You're fragile and you're strong_

_A beautiful and perfect combination_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Whoa-oh, oh, oh, I wanna know you_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Whoa-oh, oh, oh, I wanna go there_

_Where you go_

_I wanna find out what you know_

_And maybe someday down the road_

_Sit back and say to myself_

_I like how you are with me_

_In our future history_

_And maybe someday down the road_

_I'll sit back and say to myself_

_Yeah I thought so_

_I thought so, whoa-oh_

_Yeah_

_Yeah_

_Yeah_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh_

_(Yeah)_

_Whoa-oh, oh, oh, I wanna know you_

_(Yeah)_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh_

_(Yeah)_

_Whoa-oh, oh, oh, I wanna go there_

_Where you go_

_I wanna find out what you know_

_And maybe someday down the road_

_Sit back and say to myself_

_I like how you are with me_

_In our future history_

_And maybe someday down the road_

_I'll sit back and say to myself_

_Yeah I thought so"_

"Achidanza!" said Naveen with a wide grin slapping his knee, "We make a great duet!" I just giggled as Eric nodded his head in agreement.

"That was a little fun," I admitted then suggested, "Maybe we should perform together when we get back to Nesidy."

"Yes, you two do have great voices," said a brown bear coming out of the trees. I gasped in surprise as he stopped before us, and Eric came to a halt becoming tense. Behind the bear came another brown bear, a black bear, three black bear cubs, a swan, a black llama, a female ogre, a black dog, an orange cat, a gray rat, and a white rabbit.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you," said the female brown bear, "My name is Nita. This doofus, here," she nudged the male brown bear, "is my friend, Kenai." She then motioned to each animal and introduced them. "Elinor, and her triplets: Harris, Hubert, and Hamish." The four remaining bears. "Odette." The swan. "Kuzco." The llama. "Fiona." The ogre. "Yuki." The rat. "Shigure." The dog. "Kyo." The cat. "And Momiji." The rabbit.

"So what are two frogs doing travelling with a human?" asked Momiji hopping around the group.

"We're looking for Mama Odie," I explained, "So that she could help us break this spell."

"What spell?" asked Elinor tilting her head to the side.

"Brace yourself, my friends," said Naveen, "We are not frogs… we are humans."

The other animals exchanged glances and nodded. "We believe you," said Odette, "We were once humans, too."

"What happened?" Eric inquired.

"Yzma," they all said simultaneously.

"She had turned all of us to test her experiments," Kuzco explained.

"Next time I see her, I'm gonna claw her eyes out!" Kyo yelled, his orange hair standing up on end.

"Shut up, stupid cat," said Yuki in an exasperated tone, "You've been saying that for years.

"Don't tell me to shut up, you damn rat!" Kyo yelled.

"Anyways," said Naveen, breaking up their argument, "I am Naveen, this is Aralyne, and Eric."

"Hmm," said Fiona thoughtfully staring at me and Naveen, "When Yzma had changed me, she mentioned some sort of poem that may be able to break the spell. Perhaps it will work for you?"

"What poem?" asked Eric sounding a little desperate.

Fiona recited the poem:

"_By night one way_

_By day another. This shall be the norm_

_Until you find true love's first kiss_

_And then take love's true form."_

"Go on," said Naveen nudging me, "Kiss Eric and see if it works." I could feel myself blush and I really wish I had my hair to hide behind.

"It's worth a shot," said Eric with a shrug. He picked me up off his shoulder and held me before him. I puckered my lips as best I could in this frog form, and we kissed. I looked down at myself to see I was still a frog. I sighed and hopped back onto his shoulder. If the kiss didn't work, then I guess he and I weren't meant to be. I kind of figured that but how did this make Eric feel? I hope he wasn't hurt to know that we didn't have true love.

"Well if Yzma did this to all of you, too," I said forcing myself to sound optimistic, "Then perhaps you lot should come with us so that Mama Odie can help you."

The animals exchanged glances again then nodded their consent.

"All right," said Shigure, "We'll go with you."

Now with our group much larger than it was a minute ago, we started on our way, and soon entered a bayou.

"I can't wait to be human again," said Kenai in delight as we travelled, "I used to play the trumpet and I miss it!"

"Really?" I said, "Wow!"

Kenai nodded, then began to sing:

"_If I were a human being_

_I'd head straight for New Orleans_

_And I'd blow my horn so hot and strong_

_Like no one they've ever seen_

_You've heard of Louis Armstrong_

_Mr. Sidney Bechet?_

_All those boys gonna step aside_

_When they hear this old ex-bear play._

_When I'm human_

_As I hope to be_

_I'm gonna blow my horn_

'_Til the cows come home_

_And everyone's gonna bow down to me"_

Kuzco then took over the song:

"_When I'm myself again_

_I want just the life I had_

_A great big party every night_

_That doesn't sound too bad_

_A redhead on my left arm_

_A brunette on my right_

_A blonde or two to hold the candles_

_Now that seems just about right_

_Life is short_

_When you're done, you're done_

_We're on this earth_

_To have some fun_

_And that's the way things are_

_When I'm human_

_And I'm gonna be_

_I'm gonna tear it up like I did before_

_And that's a royal guarantee"_

Odette gave him an annoyed look as she flew above us and sang:

"_Your modesty becomes you_

_And your sense of responsibility_

_I've worked hard for everything I've got_

_And that's the way it's supposed to be_

_When I'm a human being_

_At least I'll act like one_

_If you do your best each and every day_

_Good things are sure to come your way_

_What you give is what you get_

_My daddy said that_

_And I'll never forget_

_And I commend it to you."_

Kenai, Odette, and Kuzco then sang at the same time:

"_When we're human_

_And we're gonna be."_

Kenai sang his last solo:

"_I'm gonna blow my horn."_

Kuzco sang his last solo:

"_I'm gonna live the high life."_

Odette sang her last solo:

"_I'm gonna do my best_

_To take my place in the sun."_

The trio sang the very last line together:

"_When we're human!"_

I laughed and applauded them. "You guys were fantastic! Oh, I can't wait to become human again so that I could dance!"

"Aralyne?" I heard a familiar voice call my name. Then Garret stepped out from behind some vegetation and he moved his head blindly from side to side trying to locate me. "Aralyne, is that you?"

"Garret!" I exclaimed in surprise, "Yes, it's me! What are you doing here?"

"Still a hermit," he replied bitterly.

"And he'll _stay_ that way!" Eric snapped and I finally realized that he, Naveen, Elinor, the triplets, Fiona, Odette, Yuki, Shigure, Momiji, and Kyo were glaring at Garret. The hermit scowled in our direction.

"What?" I said looking up at Eric, "Why?"

"He's not welcome back to Nesidy, that's all you need to know," Naveen growled, "That murderous git."

I frowned at my companions and said, "I don't judge people based on what I hear about them! I judge them on how they treat me and others! And so far Garret has been nothing but helpful! In fact, he helped me find my way back to Nesidy after I had been kidnapped by Rose, Sarousch, and Snoops! He even saved my life! He's _my_ friend, and I'm _his!_ If you lot don't like it, then that's too bad!" I hopped off of Eric's shoulder and landed on Nita's back. She, Kenai, and Kuzco didn't seem to have a problem with Garret.

Garret honestly seemed surprised at my outburst. He then said, "Aralyne, what are you doing way out here?"

"We're looking for Mama Odie," I said and I watched his head move so that he faced me, and his head lowered a little, "My friends and I were turned into animals, and we were hoping she would help us change back into humans."

"I see," he said tilting his head to the side.

"Interesting word choice," Kyo snickered.

"Shut up, stupid cat," Yuki hissed smacking him upside the head.

"Damn rat!" Kyo yelled.

"I can take you to Mama Odie's," said Garret ignoring their comments.

"Don't listen, it could be a trap!" warned Fiona.

"Well, I trust my _friend_," I snapped at the group, then I jumped and landed on Garret's shoulder. "I'm on your shoulder," I told him, "Let's go!"

Garret turned and began walking through the bayou using his staff to avoid obstacles. Kuzco, Kenai, and Nita followed, and so did the others but a bit more reluctantly.

"Why are you helping us?" asked Elinor earning a scowl from me.

"I'm helping a friend," Garret corrected and I beamed with pride. As we travelled through the bayou, I heard grumbling behind me and bristled at how they treated Garret. But at the same time, I wondered what could have caused him to become a hermit in the first place. Naveen had called him a "murderous git". The only person I've seen Garret murder was Rose, but she was a villain, and the way the others treated him made me think he was accused of murdering someone innocent. I couldn't believe it though. Yes Garret had somewhat of a bad attitude, but he had developed it from being a hermit, and he became one because he was banished from Nesidy, right? So this whole mystery seemed to circle around the murder he was accused of committing. I wanted to know the story, but I wanted to hear his side instead of listening to my prejudiced companions.

After a while, two alligators, a rat wearing a suit, some weird looking gerbil or rabbit type creature, a white bat, and an American pit bull terrier/bulldog came out from behind some shrubs and stared at us, particularly me. We all came to a halt as they gave an evil laugh. _Oh, no,_ I thought, _Brutus, Nero, Ratigan, Hamsterviel, Bartok, and Carface._

"Hand over the frog," said Carface puffing on a cigar, "We know it's the girl."

Bartok nodded, "Yup, I heard you talking about it earlier. Now hand her over or we'll be forced to hurt you."

I had to hide, but where would I go? I looked around and saw some water not far off. It looked pretty deep that even the bears could have hid in it, and it was full of reeds! Perfect! And since they were after me, they would leave my friends alone.

"You'll have to catch me, first!" I shouted, then jumped off of Garret's shoulder, heading straight for the water.

"Aralyne, no!" Eric shouted.

As I headed for the water, I felt something catch me around the waist and I hovered in the air. I looked over my shoulder to see Bartok had caught me with his feet and was struggling to hold both of us up. _Dammit!_

Hubert, Hamish, and Harris came to my rescue. Hamish batted at Bartok, and stunned, the bat dropped me. Before I could disappear under the water, I saw the three bear cubs tossing the bat back and forth to each other like a game of catch. "Thanks, guys!" I shouted out. I landed in the water, and swam into a patch of reeds. After a few minutes I heard a splash and I felt something grab me from behind. I screamed as I spun around to see Naveen.

"_Naveen!_" I gasped placing a hand over my racing heart, "You scared me! What are you doing here?"

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, "Grandpa said we needed to protect you! We can't do that if you disappear on us!"

"Listen," I hissed trying to get him to lower the volume of his voice, "They're after _me!_ I thought it would be better if I disappeared for a while."

"That's a crazy idea!" Naveen shouted and I winced hoping the gators didn't hear him. Too late. Brutus and Nero had dove into the water after me, and followed Naveen's voice to our hiding place. We both screamed. Naveen grabbed my arm and began dragging me through the water. The two gators swam after us. We dodged their jaws as we zoomed through the water. Naveen pulled me upward towards the surface at breakneck speak and we shot out of the water. The gators had jumped out of the water after us snapping their jaws.

"Help!" I yelled out before Naveen and I fell back into the water. We swam about a bit before we realized that the gators were no longer following us. Coming to a halt, Naveen and I exchanged confused glances before we swam back up to the surface to see what had happened. Kenai, Nita, Fiona, and Elinor had taken down the gators. The three cubs were still playing around with Bartok, Garret and Eric were holding down Carface who cowered before them, Shigure was holding onto Hamsterviel by his cape and shaking him around, and Ratigan was dead in Kyo's mouth.

The three grown bears, and Fiona worked together to kill Brutus and Nero. With the gators now dead, Bartok had managed to escape from Harris, Hamish, and Hubert.

"I'm out of here!" Bartok said flying away.

"Hey, wait for me," said Hamsterviel pulling himself free from Shigure and running away. Carface ran after them, not one of them looking back at us.

"Thanks everyone," I said catching my breath.

"Hey, Aralyne," said Momiji hopping up to me and scooping me up onto his head, "Why were they after you? Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"Um," I began. I didn't want to tell anyone the truth, especially after what I had seen in Ursula's and Morgana's magic bubble. "I don't really know." I hopped back over to Garret and rested on his shoulder again. "Anyways, let's get back on the path to Mama Odie's!"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

_(Song in this chapter is "Play Minstrel Play" by Blackmore's Night.)_

Dr. Facilier had been keeping track of everyone's failures. Several of the villains had been arrested, and several were now dead. Perhaps he could try again with his shadow demons. Now that that annoying firefly, Ray, was nowhere around, no one would be able to stop his shadow demons from kidnapping the girl. Facilier stood before a demonic looking statue that stared down at him with eerie glowing violet eyes.

"Friends," he said a bit nervously kicking his feet, "I know I'm in hock to y'all pretty deep already, but seems our little girl lost her way, and I need your generous assistance getting her back." The statue glared down at him and the air seemed to be filled with negative energy aimed directly at Facilier. Facilier laughed nervously and continued, "I hear you! Now, what's in it for y'all? Well, as soon as I hand over Aralyne to the Evil One, and she joins our side to kill the heroes," he paused a moment to laugh, "Us villains will have Incantationen in the palm of our hands." He conjured an image of Nesidy in the palm of his hand. "And you'll have all the wayward souls your dark little hearts desire." He blew upon the image in his hand, and the heroes' representations turned into screaming ghosts. The mini ghosts flew towards the statue that inhaled them like a druggy taking in a toxin, and he smiled with pleasure. Facilier laughed once again. "Y'all love that, don't you?" He dusted his hands off. "So, we got ourselves a deal?" The statue's mouth opened and several shadow demons exited its maw. They all took form around Facilier shrieking. Facilier laughed, and exclaimed in delight, "Now we're cooking! We're going to find ourselves a girl! Search everywhere! The bayou, the villages. Bring her to me alive. I need her heart pumping. Allez! Tout suite!"

The shadow demons left his side and headed out to search all of Incantationen for Aralyne. Some headed into different villages, others into the woods, some into the ocean, and some into the bayou….

* * *

It was dark and we had just stopped for the night, setting up a little camp. Eric decided not to set up the tent saying he felt safe enough with the bears and Fiona around. Garret just smirked and muttered something about sleeping alone out in the open all the time.

"I'm starving," Kyo moaned, as a growl erupted from his stomach.

"So am I," added Odette.

Naveen looked around and said with a smile, "How about some swamp gumbo?" He hopped over to a pumpkin-looking vegetable and knocked on it.

"That will do," said Kenai settling down on his stomach.

"Sounds delicious," said Kuzco sitting down, "I'll start with a pre-dinner cocktail and something to nibble on while I wait. Thanks."

The girls and I rolled our eyes at his attitude. "You'll eat what's given to you," said Elinor.

"Do you need any help, Naveen?" I asked. To be honest after working in the Benbow Inn's kitchen, I miraculously did learn a thing or two about cooking, and was proud of myself.

Naveen handed me a sharp rock and replied, "You can mince these mushrooms." I grabbed as many as my arms could carry and put them on a log and began to mince the mushrooms while he started preparing the gumbo. I wasn't exactly as skilled as my co-workers so it took me a while to mince one mushroom.

When he was finished with his work, Naveen came up to me and took the rest of the mushrooms, quickly chopping them up into tiny pieces.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" I inquired as he scooped up the minced mushrooms and took them to the giant pumpkin he used as a pot.

"Tiana showed me," he replied, "We grew up next to each other and she taught me how to cook."

When the gumbo was ready we all served ourselves using whatever we could find that would hold our food. I had to serve Garret since everyone was still being a jerk to him.

After we had finished eating, Eric pulled out his flute and began playing. Fiona smiled and began to sing:

"_Underneath the harvest moon_

_Where the ancient shadows will play and hide…_

_With a ghostly tune and the devil's pride…_

'_Stranger' whispered all the town_

_Has he come to save us from Satan's hand?_

_Leading them away to a foreign land…_

_Play for me, minstrel play_

_And take away our sorrows…_

_Play for me minstrel play_

_And we'll follow…_

_Hear, listen, can you hear,_

_The haunting melody surrounding you,_

_Weaving a magic spell all around you…"_

Naveen took my hands, and lifted me up to my feet, he started pulling me close, and I broke out of his grasp.

"What are you doing?" I asked feeling anxious and shooting a quick glance at Eric. He had cocked up an eyebrow but didn't stop playing.

Naveen just gave me a small smile and said, "I just want to dance. Come on." He grabbed my hand again and pulled me close. We did a sort of waltz and he twirled me around on a lily pad.

"_Danger hidden in his eyes,_

_We should have seen it from far away,_

_Wearing such a thin disguise in the light of day…_

_He held the answer to our prayers,_

_Yet it was too good to be…_

_Proof before our eyes, yet we could not see…_

_Play for me, minstrel play_

_And take away our sorrows…_

_Play for me minstrel play_

_And we'll follow…_

_Hear, listen, can you hear,_

_The haunting melody surrounding you,_

_Weaving a magic spell all around you…"_

Naveen still held onto my hand as he jumped into the water. He twirled me around some more and pulled me along in an underwater dance. We were on the sandy bottom, when he wrapped his hands around my waist, and shot up to the surface. We left the water, landed on a reed, and gently dropped back down onto the lily pad. He twirled me one last time and dipped me. Laughing, I pulled away from him and did my own dance as the music sped up. The other animals were cheering and clapping along to the beat. Nita and Kenai were dancing the best that they could since they were bears. Elinor just kind of moved side to side. Odette was flying around up in the sky in a very graceful dance, and I was honestly a bit jealous. Garret had a small smile on his face (which made me happy) and he tapped his foot to the rhythm. Fiona was doing her own fast dancing off to the side. The triplets were running around doing their own thing. The only other animal around my size was Yuki. He grabbed hold of my hand and started dancing with me, too. Still laughing, and becoming a bit breathless, I escaped his hold and started dancing around Shigure, who I could hear muttering, "Pretty girls. Pretty girls. All for me. All for me." Shaking my head, I moved away and danced around Kuzco instead who was nodding his head in appreciation. Leaving Kuzco's side, I danced up to the cubs. Harris picked me up and spun around before tossing me to Hamish. Hamish did the same thing and tossed me to Hubert. Hubert repeated what his brothers did before setting me back down on the ground. Moving away from the cubs, I danced around Kyo who looked bored. This was seriously killing my mood so I danced in a circle for a bit before I moved on to Momiji, who was watching and laughing in delight. He lifted me up onto his head and tossed me in the air where I did a couple of spins before landing back on the ground.

When the song was over, everyone cheered.

"Great job, Aralyne!"

"You were fantastic!"

"That was so much fun!"

"We should do it again!"

Eric grinned as he put away his flute. "Not tonight," he said, "We should get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Everyone else agreed and we settled in to sleep.

"Come sleep with me, Aralyne!" Momiji exclaimed, curling up in a ball.

I gave the rabbit a warm smile. "All right." I hopped my way over to him and lay beside him. Pretty soon we had all fallen asleep.

* * *

All day we had walked, stopping only to eat. Nothing had happened other than Kenai landing in a pricker bush around sunset because he was racing the bear cubs. We had to stop then, too, while all of us small animals extracted the prickers from his body.

"Doofus," Nita muttered rolling her eyes, "That's what happens when you don't watch where you're going."

"It was an –" Kenai yelled as I pulled a pricker off his ear, "– accident!"

"Sorry," I said wincing at how loud his voice was, "But Nita's right. Try to be a bit more careful next time."

When we had finished, we continued on our way.

"It's not much further now," said Garret, "About another hour or so."

We all sighed in relief, glad to be so close to Mama Odie's house.

I hopped onto Garret's shoulder and asked him the question that had been bothering me for the past two days. "Garret, why are you a hermit?"

He was silent for a moment before answering. "The last leader of Nesidy, before Lao Shi, was murdered, and everyone thinks I did it."

"Because you did," Kyo shouted out.

I shot him a murderous glare and snapped at the orange cat, "I was asking _Garret_, not _you!_" I faced the hermit and said, "Please, continue."

"The leader was a mouse by the name of Jonathan Brisby," said Garret, "A great mouse. One night – and this was before I lost my sight, mind you – I had found him out in the middle of the village square smashed as if he had been stepped on, and sliced in half. My hunting knife had gone missing that day, and I had found it sticking up from the ground beside him covered in blood. I was horrified as I picked up the knife, and that's when –"

"That's when I showed up," Eric growled, "I caught you red-handed, Garret. _You_ had killed Jonathan Brisby! Don't be filling Aralyne's head with a false tale!"

I glared at Eric, and pointed out, "He was _found_ at the scene of the crime! It doesn't mean he _committed _it! I can't believe the lot of you would accuse him of committing the murder without getting _all_ of the facts!"

"It's okay, Aralyne," Garret said trying to calm me down, then continued on with his story, "I was found near the corpse, and some of the more violent villagers attacked me, particularly the Kung Fu group. Mantis had hit me pretty hard on the side of the head. Tigress had knocked me over and at first I could only see shapes, and colors, but then my vision faded and my world went black. Now unable to see, I couldn't defend myself, and I had been arrested. In that time I was in jail, Lao Shi had become the new village leader and he had me released. He gave me a choice of being executed or living my life in exile. Of course I chose to live out here. I may not have been treated fairly right away, but I was given a second chance at life. I swear, if I could, I would figure out who had really killed Jonathan and clear my name!"

"Well, I believe you," I said, "And since you can't reenter Nesidy, I'll figure out who had done it. I believe in fair justice and I will do all that I can to make sure your name is cleared!"

"Thanks, Aralyne," Garret said with a small smile.

"Good luck with that," I heard Odette mutter as she flew above us. I scowled at her and jumped off Garret's shoulder landing on the ground.

* * *

The shadow demons in the bayou heard Aralyne's voice and exchanged malicious glances. They followed the sound of her voice and came upon the travelling group.

* * *

As I hopped beside Naveen, I looked down at my shadow in time to see a claw-like shadow grab my shadow's legs. I screamed as I felt myself being pulled backwards. Clawing at the ground to grab hold of something, I glanced back to see that nothing physical was holding me. _The shadow demons!_ I realized in fear. Facing forward again, I could see my friends chasing after me and calling out my name. I finally grabbed a tree branch and held onto it for dear life. With the shadow demon pulling me, I felt like I was going to be ripped in half! I felt a giant tug on my legs and my grip slipped from the branch as the shadow demon kept pulling me backwards. Now gliding along on my back, I was able to see other shadow demons surrounding me and grinning.

A golden light came out of nowhere and struck the shadow holding me. I fell into the water, and resurfaced in time to see more golden light hitting the other shadows. One by one they disappeared until I was left alone.

My friends had finally caught up to me completely out of breath. Several of them gasped, staring at something behind me. I spun around to see some sort of form coming towards us through the fog.

An old woman stepped forward and said twirling the torch in her hand, "Not bad for a 197-year-old blind lady." She laughed and blew out the fire on her torch. "Now which one of you naughty children been messing with the Shadow Man?"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

_(Song in this chapter is, "Dig a Little Deeper" – with a few alterations – from the movie "The Princess and the Frog".)_

Mama Odie had taken us to her home, which really was a boat in a tree. Super weird, but if it meant we were in danger from normal animals, we'd know about it right away and take precautions.

"We're so glad we found you, Mama Odie," said Odette as we followed Mama Odie through the boat. Even though she was blind, she seemed to walk around more agilely than Garret did. I guess she was using magic to help her out.

"We've been travelling a long way," I added hopping on the ground trying to keep up with the old woman, "and you can't imagine what we've been through. And we -" I stopped staring at two jars stacked at my eye level. The top jar held a pair of eyes, and the bottom jar held a pair of dentures. With a shudder and shaking my head, I continued after, trying to finish my sentence, "And we heard that you –"

"Juju!" Mama Odie shouted cutting me off. A yellow snake dropped down from the ceiling, and I screamed jumping backwards and bumping into Yuki. My previous experience with Kaa and Sir Hiss left me absolutely terrified of snakes – worse than before, because I had already hated snakes before I entered Incantationen. Mama Odie laughed. "Come on over here, you bad boy." The snake cuddled up to Mama Odie. "Give us a little sugar, now," said Mama Odie cupping the snake's face and kissing it. I squeaked and ducked behind Yuki. Behind me, I could hear Kuzco gagging. "Y'all just loves your mama, don't you?" Mama Odie asked Juju as she pulled him from the ceiling and petted him. She then started using the snake as a cane to navigate through the boat. "It's good to see you again, Garret. How's life treating you?"

"A little better," he said with a small smile, "Now that I have a friend." I beamed up at him.

"Oh, that's great!" said Mama Odie finally sitting in a giant wicker chair surrounded by candles. We all surrounded her, and I kept a good distance away from Juju. The snake eventually disappeared and Naveen and I hopped up onto Mama Odie's arm rest.

"We don't want to take up too much of your time," Elinor began, but Mama Odie cut her off.

"Y'all want some candy?" she asked holding out a hand that held a key, and several pieces of candy covered in hair. We all looked at it in disgust.

"Not really," said Naveen nervously rubbing his arm.

"No, thank you," added Fiona.

Mama Odie lifted up a piece of candy and said, "Now, that's too bad. It's a special candy." She rubbed it against her dress to clean it up. "Would have turned y'all human."

She popped the candy in her mouth right as we all started protesting at once.

"Wait!"

"Don't!"

"Please don't take it!"

"No!"

"Please!"

Mama Odie was laughing, causing us to become quiet in confusion. "I'm just messing with y'all."

Nita asked, "How on Earth did you know that we wanted to turn back –" There was a snoring sound, and we saw that Mama Odie had fallen asleep.

"Mama Odie?" said Shigure nudging her leg with his paw.

The old woman suddenly woke up and shot to her feet yelling, "Juju! Why didn't you tell me my gumbo was burning?" She ran past us to an old fashioned bathtub overflowing with gumbo.

Kenai gave Garret a confused look and muttered, "You sure this is the right blind voodoo lady who lives in a boat in a tree in the bayou?"

I gave him one of my _are you serious?_ looks. How many blind voodoo ladies does he think live in a boat in a tree in the bayou?

"Pretty sure," Garret replied with a smirk. Apparently his thoughts had reflected mine.

We all followed Mama Odie to the tub. Naveen, Momiji, Yuki, and I jumped onto the tub's edge so that we were somewhat at her eyelevel. "Can't believe this," she muttered stirring the gumbo, "Got to do everything around here."

"Mama Odie," Momiji began, but he too was cut off, "if you –"

"Taste this!" cried Mama Odie sticking a finger in my mouth full of gumbo. I swallowed it and tasted it thoughtfully. "Well?"

"Hit it hard with a couple of shots of Tabasco and it's the bee's knees," I replied. In my opinion, many dishes tasted so much better with Tabasco. "Now, can we –"

"Juju!" she shouted out again. The snake popped up beside me with a bottle of Tabasco and I almost fell over backwards trying to get away from him. Eric caught me and pushed me back onto the tub. Juju poured some Tabasco into the gumbo before disappearing again. Mama Odie scooped some out with her hand and tasted it. She laughed in delight, jumped in the air and kicked the heels of her feet. "That's got some zang to it! That's just what it needed. Now, y'all figure out what you need?" she asked us.

"It's just like you said, Mama Odie," said Odette, "We need to be human."

Mama Odie scoffed right in my face. Startled, I stumbled backwards into Naveen and almost slipped into the gumbo. Naveen grasped me under my arms and pulled me back onto the tub. "Y'all ain't got the sense you was born with! Y'all want to be human but you're blind to what you need!"

Kyo looked annoyed, "What we want? What we need? Is all the same thing, yes?" Mama Odie smacked him on the head. "Ow!" he cried as Yuki rolled his eyes and Shigure smirked at him.

"Is the same thing? No!" Mama Odie yelled out, "You listen to your mama now." She started to sing:

"_Don't matter what you look like_

_Don't matter what you wear_

_How many rings you got on your finger_

_We don't care_

_No we don't care"_

Naveen, Yuki, Momiji, and I had jumped off the tub onto the floor. Mama Odie started dancing around me and pointed a finger in my direction.

"_Don't matter where you come from_

_Don't even matter what you are_

_A dog, a pig, a cow, a goat_

_Had 'em all in here_

_We had 'em all in here_

_And they all knew what they wanted_

_What they wanted me to do_

_I told 'em what they needed_

_Just like I be telling you"_

Mama Odie then started dancing around Nita who seemed a bit surprised.

"_You got to dig a little deeper_

_Find out who you are_

_You got to dig a little deeper_

_It really ain't that far_

_When you find out who you are_

_You'll find out what you need_

_Blue skies and sunshine guaranteed"_

Mama Odie pushed Nita over to Kenai. The two bears bumped into each other and exchanged embarrassed looks.

"_You got to dig_

_Dig_

_You got to dig_

_Dig"_

Mama Odie moved over to Kuzco who backed up a bit, wary of what she was going to say to him.

"_This llama is a rich little boy_

_You wanna be rich again"_

(Kuzco nodded eagerly)

"_That ain't gonna make you happy now_

_Did it make you happy then? No!_

_Money ain't got no soul_

_Money ain't got no heart_

_All you need is some self-control_

_Make yourself a brand new start"_

Kuzco looked a little disappointed when she made money appear with magic and then disappear. The old woman then moved over to Naveen. She conjured a picture of Kida, and he smiled.

"_You got to dig a little deeper_

_Don't have far to go_

_You got to dig a little deeper_

_Tell the people Mama told you so_

_Can't tell you what you'll find_

_Maybe love will grant you peace of mind_

_Dig a little deeper and you'll know"_

Naveen's smile vanished at the same moment the image of Kida did. Mama Odie made her way over to Odette who was dancing a bit. The swan was also surprised to be approached.

"_Miss Swan, might I have a word?_

_You's a hard one, that's what I heard_

_Your daddy was a loving man_

_Family through and through_

_You your daddy's daughter_

_What he had in him you got in you_

_You got to dig a little deeper_

_For you it's gonna be tough_

_You got to dig a little deeper_

_You ain't dug near far enough"_

Mama Odie got on a make-shift elevator and Juju rose it up to the top of the boat. The rest of us struggled to climb up the boat's broken boards to catch up with her. Momiji, Yuki, Kyo, Naveen, and I jumped onto the elevator with her. She picked up the cat, rat, and rabbit, holding them close.

"_Dig down deep inside yourself_

_You'll find out what you need_

_Blue skies and sunshine guaranteed_

_Open up the windows_

_Let in the light children"_

To be honest, all of us were having fun and sang along, too.

"_Blue skies and sunshine_

_Blue skies and sunshine"_

Mama Odie lifted me onto her head as I sang the next line.

"_Blue skies and sunshine"_

The old woman sang the very last line.

"_Guaranteed."_

"Well, everyone," said Mama Odie as the first rays of daylight started peeking over the horizon, "do you understand what you need now, children?"

"Yes, Mama Odie," Fiona said with a nod.

"Of course," Elinor agreed as her triplets nodded eagerly.

"It was something about girls, right?" said Shigure with a sneaky grin, causing all of us females to roll our eyes at him.

"What I understand," said Eric in a rude, bitter tone, "is that you're wasting our time, old woman!"

I gaped at him scandalized. "Eric!" He didn't bother to look my way as he folded his arms over his torso. He had a slight frown on his face.

Mama Odie faced him and was silent for a moment. I heard her mutter something about a dark heart, but then said aloud to the rest of us, "Well, if y'all are set on being human, there's only one way."

We followed her back down to the bottom of the boat. The entire time I kept shooting Eric a confused look. He seemed to be a little tense….

* * *

Facilier had watched his shadow demons fail through an image he had conjured in mid-air. The statue behind him was becoming agitated.

"That's twice you failed, Facilier," the statue hissed and he cringed at the sound of its voice, "One more time and you belong to me."

The Shadow Man spun around and nervously laughed. "Don't worry, friend. I'll get her next time, I swear it." With another nervous chuckle, he returned his attention to the image he had conjured. Aralyne and her friends were with Mama Odie singing, and they failed to notice three figures sneaking towards them...

* * *

Fidget had avoided the sunlight as he watched the animals singing and dancing with Mama Odie. He gave a malicious sneer as he stared at the female frog. His cousin, Bartok, had explained that Aralyne's form had been changed. As the old woman and the animals began heading back down to the bottom of the boat, he flew to the stairs leading up to the boat where Mozenrath (from the _Aladdin_ tv series, in case you're wondering) and the lioness, Zira, were waiting.

"Well?" asked Mozenrath impatiently, "Is she up there, or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," replied Fidget nodding his head, "The girl is up there. I saw her with my own two eyes!"

Zira gave an evil chuckle as she sharpened her claws upon the tree trunk. "Let's go get ourselves a little girl."

* * *

Mama Odie said that if we were meant to stay animals, then the spell would not work on us, otherwise we would be human and exactly the way we were before Yzma's spell had taken effect. Elinor and her three triplets had gone first. They were surrounded by a golden light and all four of them became human. Harris, Hubert, and Hamish exchanged excited glances before cheering and running into their mother's arms who kissed each of them in turn. Next came Odette. What looked like water seemed to engulf the swan and when it disappeared, a beautiful blonde woman stood in her place smiling at us. As for Kuzco, his transformation was the same as Elinor's and the triplets'. In a puff of orange, purple, blue, and yellow smoke, Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, and Momiji became human, and I had to admit all four of them were extremely good-looking. Now it was time for Kenai, Nita, and Fiona. They stood there expectantly looking forward to becoming human again. However, when Mama Odie waved her wand, they remained animals.

"W-Why isn't it working?" Fiona asked a bit desperately. Kenai and Nita exchanged sad glances and lowered their heads.

"It looks like we're stuck this way," Kenai commented.

"N-No!" Fiona shouted out beginning to tear up, "I don't want to be an ogre forever!"

I bit my lip in worry. How I hated to see people cry! And what could I say to cheer her up, especially if I became human right before her very eyes.

Mama Odie then turned her attention towards me and Naveen. I was feeling anxious, and took hold of his hand to calm myself. She waved her wand at us and we were struck with a golden light right as the door to the boat burst open. The light faded as Mama Odie lost concentration and we turned to see Fidget, Mozenrath, and Zira stalking inside….


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

_(Song in this chapter is "Wonderland" by Solange Knowles.)_

As the villains entered the boat, Naveen stood before me protectively, and I gaped at him. He was human, yet still the size of a frog. _If he's somewhat normal, than I am…._ I glanced down to see I had become human as well. "Naveen," I squeaked into his ear, "We're human!"

He turned to look at me and smiled, until he heard Mozenrath say, "Give us Aralyne, or Zira here will kill the lot of you." Naveen's smile faded as we returned our attention to the villains.

"Not a chance," Garret growled, his grip tightening on his staff as he raised it, ready to fight.

"When are you guys going to give up?" said Eric with a smirk, "She's mine, and no one will take her from me."

I felt myself flush at his statement, and fingered the necklace he had given me. The words engraved on the silver heart reverberated around my head, _I love you._

Momiji stood before me and Naveen blocking us from the villains' view. He glanced back at us, and whispered, "Hide. Now." Naveen nodded, grabbed my hand, and dragged me across the floor to duck behind some of Mama Odie's junk just lying around.

"Come on," said Naveen glancing back at me, "We have to make sure they don't find you." When he finally faced forward, it was just in time to see that he had fallen down a hole in the floor, and I was dragged along after him. We screamed as we dropped out of the boat. In a few seconds, we landed on some grass that cushioned our fall. We slid off the blade of grass onto the ground.

* * *

Zira had heard Momiji tell Aralyne to hide and growled out in anger. "The girl is escaping! Fidget, go get her!" The peg-legged bat started flying in Aralyne's direction, but Kyo grabbed him by the wings, and Fidget struggled in his grasp.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Fidget exclaimed.

Kyo smirked down at him, "I don't think so."

With an angry snarl, Zira leapt towards Kyo, but both Nita and Kenai tackled her in mid-air. The three animals got into a large brawl, and Fiona jumped in to help the bears. Mozenrath just sneered at everyone else who became tense, waiting to see what he would do. The last remaining villain raised his right hand which was enveloped in a brown glove-looking gauntlet. The gauntlet began to glow an eerie blue, and a beam shot out striking Yuki. He flew across the boat and slammed into the wall. Mozenrath then did the same thing to Garret, Odette, and Kuzco. Before he could move on to Elinor and her boys, Mama Odie shot fire at Mozenrath. The flames struck his gauntlet, and it caught on fire. Panicking, the villain removed the gauntlet to reveal his hand nothing more than a skeleton; he quickly patted out the fire before his source of magic was destroyed.

Kenai, Nita, and Fiona had killed Zira – a broken neck – and tossed the lioness's body aside. Noticing this Mozenrath slid his gauntlet back onto his hand and said, "This isn't over, heroes. I'll be back." In a flash of blue light, he transported himself out of the boat.

"Hey!" Fidget cried realizing he was now alone. Looking at the bat in disgust, Kyo tossed him into the air, and Juju came out of nowhere swallowing Fidget whole.

With the villains now gone, Eric called out, "Aralyne, Naveen, you can come out now." But they heard no reply. "Aralyne?"

"Naveen?" said Elinor as her triplets began pushing things aside to look for the tiny humans. Pretty soon, the boys found the whole and pointed it out to their mother.

"Oh no," said Momiji kneeling beside the whole and peering down into the outside world.

"Where is Aralyne?" asked Garret as he was helped to his feet by Odette and Kuzco.

"I think she and Naveen fell down this whole," said Yuki kneeling beside Momiji.

"We have to find her!" Eric shouted. He ran towards the boat's entrance and everyone followed him, ready to search for their missing friends.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Naveen asked, helping me to my feet.

"I believe so," I replied dusting myself off. I stared up at the tree holding Mama Odie's boat and almost toppled over again. The tree looked like a mountain! And I didn't even know if the others realized that Naveen and I had gone missing! "How are we going to get back up there?" I wondered aloud.

"That's an excellent question," he mused staring up at the tree, too.

Suddenly, a black beetle dropped out of the sky before us laughing. I gasped in surprise and took a step backwards. Naveen looked ready to defend me if necessary.

"Hiya, toots!" cried the beetle in a grating voice that made me cringe. He ignored Naveen as he stalked towards me. "Beetle's my name and razzmatazz is my game. How do you do? How are you feeling? Everything okay?"

"It's okay," I whispered to Naveen, "I don't think he'll hurt me." Then I said to Beetle as he touched my face with his feelers making me shudder, "I'm not your toots. Where do you come from?"

Beetle pulled away and replied pointing to the sky, "Where? Up there! I'm a connoisseur of sweet nectars, a designer of rare threads and a judge of beautiful women!" He grabbed me around the waist and spun me around, "And you are beautiful, Miss umm…?"

I could see Naveen tense up as Beetle brushed his feelers along my face again. "Uh, Aralyne," I replied pushing Beetle away, "and I'm trying to get up this tree." I pointed to the one holding Mama Odie's boat. I tried making my way over to Naveen, but Beetle blocked my path.

"What's your hurry, toots?" he demanded, "Relax. Take a load off." He brushed his feelers against my face again.

I shuddered in disgust. "I wish you wouldn't do that!" I said pushing past him and heading towards Naveen.

"Perhaps you'd prefer this?" Beetle inquired grabbing my hand and kissing my arm. Naveen became red, and I motioned for him to calm down. I was pretty sure I could handle this insect.

"Mr. Beetle!" I cried out, "I don't even know you! Would you stop?"

"Stop?" asked Beetle in surprise, "How can I stop?" Kiss. "I'm crazy about you, toots." Kiss. "You're gorgeous." I pulled my hand away and he ended up kissing his own limb instead. "You're exciting." Kissed his hand again. "Delicious."

"I am?" I asked in disgust. Even Naveen had a sick look on his face.

"And I love the sound of your voice," said Beetle as he stopped kissing his hand.

"My voice?" I said placing a hand upon my throat.

"Don't talk!" Beetle commanded, "Sing. Sing to me!"

I looked back up at Mama Odie's boat in thought and then gazed back down at Naveen, who I could tell was getting pissed off with Beetle. Then I sang a sentence, "_I have an idea. Can you fly us up there?"_ I had pointed to the tree again.

"Um, why should I, toots?" Beetle inquired glancing between me, Naveen, and the tree.

"Well," I explained, "It's a long climb for me and my friend, and with your help, it would be so much easier."

"Ah, gee," said Beetle with a suspicious look upon his face, "I don't know. That would be a big, big, oh, very big favor."

"_I'll sing_," I sang to him, "_I'll sing for you!"_

"No, no," said the Beetle with a sneaky grin, "You'll sing at the Beetle Ball. And dance." He suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and flew up into the air.

"Aralyne!" Naveen shouted out trying to run and catch up to us. I was too surprised to say or do anything, and after a few seconds, we had left him behind.

Laughing, Beetle said, "We are gonna be the talk of the town, toots!"

We had finally arrived at a mountain not far from the bayou, and landed at the entrance to a cave. "I'm not your toots!" I shouted out as he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

* * *

"Dammit!" Naveen shouted coming to a halt and out of breath, "Now what am I going to do?!"

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice said, and a grasshopper that was about as big as Naveen stepped out from behind a blade of grass. "I've seen people your size before, but they have wings." He felt Naveen with his feelers, and the hero pulled away in disgust. "You, however, don't seem to have any." He gave a malicious sneer. "You would be perfect as one of my slaves."

Naveen chuckled. "Funny. I don't work for anyone. Now back off, before I hurt you."

Now Hopper chuckled. "Funny. What makes you think you can hurt me? I will squash you like a bug!"

A bird started cawing nearby, and Hopper paled in fear. A robin flew out of a nearby tree and headed straight for them. Hopper began running away, and Naveen ducked, hoping it wouldn't take him. He felt a whoosh of air above him, and peeked to see the bird chasing the grasshopper. Hopper screamed and ran, ducking behind what looked like a giant bundle of twigs. There was small chirrup sound coming from inside the bundle, and a baby bird popped up, staring down at Hopper. Hopper screamed in fright as the chick suddenly picked him up and swallowed him whole. The chick began to chirrup some more. The robin turned course in the air, and made a dive right towards Naveen. He tensed up, ready to run, when he noticed something odd about the bird. It was made out of paper! Tilting his head in confusion, he watched the robin skid to a halt beside him. The beak opened up and three ants stepped out of the fake bird; an adult male, an adult female, and a female child.

"Hi," said the male ant walking up to Naveen and holding out his hand to shake. Naveen hesitantly took it. "My name is Flik, and these are my friends, Atta, and her little sister, Dot."

"Hello," said Naveen, "My name is Naveen. What just happened?"

Dot answered, "Hopper's been trying to get anything smaller than him to be his slave, so Flik had come up with the idea to scare him off. We've had this fake bird for months, waiting for the right moment to use it."

"But what about the baby bird?" asked Naveen staring at the nest on the ground, "How did you plan that?"

"We didn't," Atta admitted, "That was a bit of bad luck on Hopper's part, running right up to a real bird's nest. Well, now that he's gone, he won't be trying to get anymore slaves."

Naveen said, "Hopper mentioned people like me, but with wings. Was he talking about fairies?" The three ants nodded. He grinned. "Achidanza! With their help, I would be able to locate Aralyne, and hopefully they'd change us back to normal! Do you know where I can find these fairies?"

"Sure," said Flik with a shrug, "We can take you to them, now, but it'll take a while to get there."

"Well, if we leave now, we should get to the fairy village by morning," Atta pointed out.

"Then let's go!" said Naveen, "I must find them right away!"

Dot took hold of Naveen's hand and said, "Come on!"

The three ants led Naveen to the fairy village.

* * *

Beetle had taken me into some sort of dressing room where there was a pretty young woman my size with long red hair. She was sitting on a chair looking sad and lonely. Ignoring her for the moment, I told Beetle, "Return me to my friend, now!"

"I don't think so, toots," said Beetle, "We had a deal. You sing and dance tonight, _and then_ I'll take you back to your friend, and I'll take both of you up into the tree."

Glaring at him, I considered my options. Try escaping now, and fall off the mountain to my death, or perform and have Beetle safely return me to my friends. "Fine," I growled in anger, "I'll perform."

"Perfect!" Beetle exclaimed, "I'll see you out on the stage!" He then left the dressing room, and I turned my attention to the other girl.

"Hi," I said losing my scowl and walking up to her, "My name's Aralyne. What's yours?"

She gave me a small smile. "I'm Thumbelina. I guess you'll be performing with me tonight? I've been here for a while, and Beetle expects a new show every single night. To be honest, I'm a little tired."

I sat down beside her and asked, "Don't you get any breaks?" She shook her head.

Forcing another smile on her face, she added, "The show will start in a few minutes. We'd better get ready." She stood up, and walked to a closet. Thumbelina then produced two identical dresses and headgear and I looked at it in revulsion.

"We have to dress as butterflies?" I asked as she handed me a dress.

She nodded and replied. "Be grateful that we don't have to dress up as slugs tonight. Those costumes are actually dipped in slime. It's disgusting."

Not saying anything, I changed into the dress she had given me and put on the ridiculous headset and wings that went along with it. When we had finished getting ready, I followed her out of the dressing room, through a tunnel, and we now stood on the stage in the middle of the Beetle Ball.

There were insects all over the place, and a line of beetles on the stage were wearing the same outfit. The crowd was cheering as the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlebugs Berkley Beetle proudly presents Thumbelina and Aralyne!" We forced smiles as the music began and the beetles started dancing. Thumbelina and I began to dance to the beat and she started the song:

"_Ooooo_

_No, no, no, no_

_Hmmmm_

_Some people say that life is full of pain but I look at life as it _

_were a flower taking all the good instead of all the bad and turning _

_it around with what we have. And everything we do and everything we _

_say soon will all become what we have made, when walking out your _

_door remember there's much more so why don't you just..."_

I joined in with Thumbelina to make it a duet as we paraded around dressed as ridiculous butterflies.

"_Come on won't you ride with me _

_I will take you on a fantasy _

_And we can get along in this wonderland"_

My performing companion repeated the last half of the previous line.

"_In this wonderland, woahhh..."_

Now it was my turn for a solo.

"_You never use more than just words can say,_

_But I can explain how it holds its power._

_Remember every dream that kept you in your sleep,_

_The places you would go, you've never been,_

_And everywhere we go, everything we do, _

_Soon it all becomes a part of you._

_When wishing on your star,_

_remember who you are,_

_so why don't you just…."_

We had another duet.

"_Come on won't you ride with me _

_I will take you on a fantasy _

_And we can get along in this wonderland"_

I repeated the last three words.

"_In this wonderland_

_In this wonderland"_

We sang together again.

"_Come on won't you ride with me _

_Ride with me_

_I will take you on a fantasy_

_I will take you on a fantasy_

_And we can get along in this wonderland_

_In this wonderland_

_In this wonderland_

_Won't you come with me_

_No, no_

_Whoa-whoa_

_Beautiful whatever it takes_

_life is whatever you make,_

_sometimes it's never enough,_

_just when you think it's enough._

_Enough_

_Come and go with me, lands nobody's seen_

_come and go with me,_

_let yourself be free,_

_in this wonderland_

_in this wonderland_

_I'll take you on a fantasy_

_And we can get along in this wonderland_

_In this wonderland_

_In this wonderland"_

Beetle had been on stage dancing when he jumped up to Thumbelina, grabbed her hand and spun her around. Her entire outfit fell apart, and she now stood in her undergarments. The crowd laughed and she flushed, but she forced on another smile and continued dancing and singing with me.

"_Come on won't you ride with me _

_It's beautiful, come on_

_I will take you on a fantasy _

_I'll take you on a fantasy_

_And we can get along in this wonderland_

_In this wonderland_

_In this wonderland_

_On a fantasy we can get along_

_In this wonderland_

_In this wonderland_

_In this wonderland"_

At the end of the song, Beetle smacked her on the butt with his cane. I saw another Beetle heading towards me to do the same thing, but I gave him an evil warning look.

"Touch my ass, and I will kill you," I hissed at him. He gave me an embarrassed grin and backed off.

* * *

Grendel Toad had gone to the Beetle Ball and watched the whole show. As the girls were performing, he kept staring at Thumbelina. His mouth dropped open and his tongue was hanging out like a dog. "I love her," he muttered to himself, "And she will be mine!"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

After the show, Thumbelina and I returned to the dressing room and changed back into our regular clothes. When we were decent, Beetle came into the room.

"Great job, ladies, that was beautiful!" he said checking himself in the mirror and fixing his bow tie.

"Okay, Beetle," I said folding my arms over my chest, "I held up my end of the deal, now it's time for you to hold up yours. Take me back to my friend."

"Yeah, about that, toots," he said with a sneaky grin, turning to me, "The crowd loved you, so the deal's off. You belong to me, now, and will perform for me every single night."

"_What?!_" I screeched anger boiling inside of me. I reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him to my red face. "We had a _deal, _Beetle!" I snarled in his face, "Take me back to my friend, _now!_"

Beetle poked me in the side with his cane. I squeaked, releasing him, and keeling over onto the floor. Thumbelina ran to my side to make sure I was okay.

"See you tomorrow night, toots," said Beetle leaving the dressing room and locking the door behind him. I jumped to my feet and started pounding on the door.

"_Let me out of here, Beetle! I'm going to kill you!"_

"Aralyne," said Thumbelina coming up behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder, "It's no use. You're stuck here, like I am."

"No," I said rounding on her, "We're getting out of here, you and me. Seeing what they did to you on stage pissed me off and I'm not going to stand for this! We're not slaves, we're _people_, Thumbelina!"

"But how are we going to escape?" she asked, "He locked the door."

I ran over to the mirror and rummaged through a box of hair accessories. I soon found what I had been looking for. "Pick the lock, of course," I said with a sneaky grin holding up a hair pin. I raced back to the door and stuck the pin in the key hole jiggling my make-shift key around. We heard a satisfying click and exchanged excited grins. _Thank you, Aladdin!_ I slowly opened the door and peeked out into the tunnel to see a couple of beetles walking by exchanging ideas for future shows.

"We should have the girls dress up as millipedes tomorrow."

"Yeah, extra legs should bring in the crowds."

They started laughing as they walked further down the hall. "Come on," I whispered taking Thumbelina's hand, and pulling her out into the tunnel. The further down the hall we went, the less insects we came across. We eventually exited the cave altogether.

"I'm free?" Thumbelina said quietly as we stood at the mouth of the cave on the mountain. She stared out at the woods and the bayou and suddenly laughed dancing around. "I'm free!"

"Yeah, and if we don't leave now, we'll be caught again," I hissed, "Let's go!" We followed the ledge on the mountain heading down towards the ground. After several hours, we finally made it off the mountain, but we had to leave the mountain behind. Once Beetle realized we were missing, I'm pretty sure he would follow us. Thumbelina and I made our way through vegetation, and I was pretty sure we had left the bayou behind and were now in the woods. Now that the sun was gone, it was pretty cold outside and I wasn't wearing my sweater. Even Thumbelina was shivering.

"We n-n-need to find shelt-t-ter," I said through chattering teeth.

"I th-th-think I found-d-d someth-th-thing!" she exclaimed running to some sort of old boot that looked as if it had been left behind years ago. Inside the boot was also an old sock and I stared at it in disgust. I _so _didn't want to stay the night sleeping in an old sock! But, hey, beggars can't be choosers, right? We stumbled over towards the boot. We took shelter beneath the toe of the shoe and pulled the sock around us like a blanket.

"Don't worry, Thumbelina," I said, "We'll be fine now that we're away from Beetle."

She gave me a small smile before we buried deeper under the sock, curled up into balls and fell asleep.

* * *

The ants wanted to take shelter and sleep for the night, but Naveen had refused. "The sooner we get there, the sooner they can help me find my friend and return us to our normal heights," he had said. So they travelled just about all night until they finally arrived at the fairy village at the crack of dawn. The ants and Naveen went to the three village leaders: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.

"Sorry to disturb you so early," said Flik with a nervous chuckle as they faced the fairies.

"It's quite all right, Flik," said Flora with a nod.

"I, too, apologize," said Naveen with a bow, "But it is quite urgent that I speak with you." He then told them about Aralyne's arrival in Incantationen (the fairies exchanged worried glances), and Grandpa's order to watch over her, and his adventures with her in the previous village and as animals, and he finally ended with Beetle kidnapping her.

"Oh, the poor dear," said Fauna her hands upon her cheeks, "We must find her."

"I agree," said Merryweather nodding earnestly, "We'll send out our three best fairies." She jumped into the air and flew off. Merryweather returned moments later followed by Cornelius, Tinker Bell, and Terence.

"You three," said Flora, "Will help this young man –" She gave him an inquiring look realizing she didn't know his name.

"Naveen," he interjected.

"Naveen," continued Flora, "search for his friend, Aralyne."

"Yes, Mistress Flora," said Tinker Bell with a bow. She wrapped her arms around Naveen's waist and the three recruited fairies jumped into the air, and flew off to search for Aralyne.

Flik, Atta, and Dot waved good-bye to Naveen as he disappeared in the sky.

"I hope they find the poor dear," said Fauna.

"Me, too," added Merryweather, "The fate of Incantationen rests with her.

* * *

First thing Grundel did in the morning was head to the Beetle Ball to speak with Beetle, but as luck would have it, they bumped into each other in the bayou. Beetle had gone to wake his little performers and found them missing, so now he was out searching for them.

"Beetle," said Grundel, "I must speak with you. I want Thumbelina. I will marry her!"

Beetle would have normally said "no" but the toad was bigger than he was so instead, he replied, "Sure, you can have her, but there's one small problem. She's missing." Grundel Toad snarled and started strangling Beetle.

"Okay, okay!" Beetle choked out, "Can I explain something?"

"What?" Grundel growled as he stopped abusing the insect.

"Look, I don't know where she is. She and that little tramp, Aralyne, disappeared," said Beetle.

With an angry growl, Grundel smacked him on the end, sending Beetle sprawling to the floor.

"How can you let Thumbelina get away?!" the toad demanded stomping on Beetle's foot.

Beetle pulled his foot free before replying, "Look, I got an idea. I hear Aralyne is searching for her friends, so Thumbelina must have gone with her." Growling again, Grundel pummeled Beetle's head before jumping on him repeatedly.

"I crush Aralyne!" the toad yelled out.

"Okay, okay, shut up and listen," said Beetle jumping to his feet, "Why don't you just nab Aralyne and set up a trap for Thumbelina using Aralyne as the bait. You know, get Thumbelina to come to you."

"Nab Aralyne?" said Grundel as he stroked his chin in thought.

"And set up a trap," added Beetle.

"Nab Aralyne!" Grundel exclaimed.

"Yes. Nab Aralyne and set up a trap," Beetle added again grabbing the toad by the collar and shaking him, "Do you speak English? Try to keep up, Grundel, okay?"

"Don't shout!" Grundel shouted pulling his hat over his head.

"You're making me very nervous here," said the insect.

Grundel grabbed Beetle by the throat and said, "_You_ go capture Aralyne." He released the bug, but tore off his wings, holding them out of Beetle's reach.

"My wings!" Beetle cried trying to reach for them, "You took my wings! You can't do that!"

"Yeah?" demanded Grundel holding Beetle back by the head, "I _keep_ wings until you nab Aralyne."

"Listen, pal," said Beetle shoving Grundel's arm away, "this harassment has gone far enough, and I know my rights. I'll report you to the pond patrol." Grundel sneered at him and began to strangle him all over again. "Okay, okay. Cool it, cool it." When the toad had released him, Beetle said, "Where's your sense of humor?" Grundel made a threatening gesture making Beetle flinch. "All right, _I'll_ nab Aralyne." As he began walking away, he added, "Mind the wings. I'll be back." He soon disappeared within the bayou heading towards the forest.

* * *

I could hear many voices speaking at once, but it was a little difficult to make out what they were saying. Finally I heard someone say, "Shh! I think they're waking up!" Opening my eyes I was surprised to be surrounded by a bunch of blue garden gnomes.

"Did you have a nice rest, my dears?" said an elderly gnome. Thumbelina was awake beside me and that's when I realized we were in a makeshift bed in the middle of an old abandoned yard. Off to the side, was a large hedge, and behind that was a rundown greenhouse.

"Where are we?" Thumbelina asked nervously scooting up beside me.

"Why, my dear, you're in the Blue Garden," said the elderly gnome, "We had found the two of you sleeping in the old shoe not far off from here. I am Lady Bluebury." She gestured to a younger male gnome beside her, "And this is my son, Gnomeo."

"Hey," he said with a single wave, "How's it going?"

"Oh, um, hi," I said with a small smile, "My name is –"

"Aralyne," said Lady Gnomeo, "and that is your friend, Thumbelina."

"Yes," I said in surprise, "How did you –"

"You talk in your sleep, my dear," said Lady Bluebury, "And did you know you have conversations, too? You were going on and on about your adventures here in Incantationen."

"Oh," I said blushing furiously.

"Yes, well, we'd like to welcome you to our garden properly," said Gnomeo holding his hand out to me, "We would like to give you the grand tour, but our race is about to start. Care to watch?"

I took it, and he helped me out of bed to my feet, while another gnome did the same thing to Thumbelina. I looked at her to see what she wanted to do.

"Sure," she said, "We'd love to see you race!"

"Okay," I said with a shrug.

"Gnomeo," said Lady Bluebury to her son, "Good luck."

"Thanks, Mum," he said kissing her on the cheek.

Lady Bluebury suddenly said forcefully, "Go out there and show them we Blues are better than any Red!"

"Red," said Gnomeo rolling his eyes, "I hate the word."

Other gnomes had grabbed Thumbelina and me and dragged us into what looked like an alley with one side being the garden wall, and the other side being the forest. The blue gnomes were standing on the wall side, while dozens of red gnomes stood before the woods. The two groups began to boo each other as soon as they saw each other. I looked around and noticed that Gnomeo had disappeared. When he had finally reappeared, it was with a blue lawnmower. A red gnome also arrived with a scarlet lawnmower and the two crowds began to cheer, making it sound like the song _Saturday_ by Elton John.

"Gnomeo! Gnomeo! Gnomeo!" the blue gnomes yelled.

While in contrast, the red gnomes were chanting, "Tybalt, go! Tybalt, go! Tybalt go!"

"Gnomeo! Gnomeo! Gnomeo!"

"Tybalt, go! Tybalt, go! Tybalt, go!"

Gnomeo, and Tybalt – I now realized was the name of Gnomeo's opponent – started the engines of the lawnmowers and jumped on them as if they were racecars.

A blue gnome stood before the lawnmowers holding a daisy and said, "OK, boys, y'all know the rules, and I don't need to repeat them. But I'm gonna, because I wanna. And here they are: no biting, no scratching, no kicking, no burping, no slurping, no cussing, no squalling, no rassling, no heeing, no hawing, and more than anything, _no_ cheating!"

"No cheating?" exclaimed a ceramic deer on the red side, "Hey, that's not fair!" I rolled my eyes at his stupidity.

"Gnomeo! Gnomeo! Gnomeo!"

"On your marks!" yelled the blue gnome who I have dubbed Dolly (since she sounded like Dolly Parton), "Get set!"

"Sucker!" yelled Tybalt taking off early. I frowned at him.

"He cheated!" Thumbelina pointed out in my ear.

"Go, go, go!" Dolly shouted as Gnomeo took off.

Since Tybalt had a head start, Gnomeo was pushing his lawnmower to go faster. Everyone was cheering, and I could see Gnomeo catching up to Tybalt pretty quickly. Tybalt kept blocking Gnomeo's path, but Gnomeo eventually found a way past him and zoomed forward. Tybalt rammed into Gnomeo's lawnmower several times and I was afraid someone was going to get hurt. Gnomeo than used a ramp to get ahead again.

"Gnomeo! Gnomeo! Gnomeo!"

"Tybalt, go! Tybalt, go!"

Tybalt picked up a rock and threw it towards Gnomeo. The rock made contact with the airborne lawnmower, and the machine spun around in circles before throwing Gnomeo off, and landing with a crash, destroying the machine. Tybalt circled around Gnomeo before heading back towards us.

When Tybalt had returned, the deer said, "You're the greatest, boss. The greatest by far."

He then kicked a row of tiny red gnomes and they repeated what he had said, "The greatest! The greatest by far!"

"Oh! Please, please, my friends," said Tybalt puffing out his chest in pride, "Tell me something I don't already know." _Um, conceited much?_

I scowled at the winner in disgust, and even Thumbelina was glaring at him. I could hear the blue gnomes grumbling, too.

"A cheat! A cheat! That's what you are!" Thumbelina shouted out, riling up the rest of the blue gnomes.

The tiny red gnomes then repeated what she had said, "A cheat! A cheat! That's what you are!" The deer kicked them again to get them to shut up.

"Well, what have we here," said Tybalt jumping off his lawnmower and coming towards us, "And who might you be?"

"My name is Thumbelina," she said huffily folding her arms over her chest and turning her back to him.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Tybalt growled grabbing Thumbelina's arm and spinning her around with so much force she fell over.

"Tybalt! You just crossed the line!" Gnomeo shouted out running towards us. Apparently he had seen his abuse on my friend. I helped her up to her feet and checked to make sure she was okay.

"Yeah, the _finish_ line," Tybalt sneered getting back up on his lawnmower, "Adios, loser!" Other red gnomes, and the deer began pushing the scarlet lawnmower to the garden on the far off side of the green house. That's when I realized, the greenhouse, and the giant hedge served as a barrier between the red and blue gnomes.

With the blue gnomes grumbling about Tybalt cheating, we returned to the Blue Garden.

"Gnomeo," I said, once Thumbelina and I had gotten him alone. "What's going on? Why do you and the red gnomes hate each other so much?"

He gave us a small mischievous smile before telling us his tale.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"You see," said Gnomeo, "Blues and Reds have hated each other for as long as I can remember. _Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean_."

"Um, what?" I said in confusion tilting my head to the side. It sounded like Shakespearean language, and to be honest, I've always had a hard time understanding Shakespeare.

"Nothing," Gnomeo said shaking his head, "Just something I've heard since I was little. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I have to go out and do my rounds." He then left Thumbelina and me behind.

* * *

Juliet had climbed onto a tree to spy upon the Blue Garden. Pushing aside the branches, she gasped at what she saw. "Wow!" she quietly exclaimed as she stared upon the abandoned greenhouse. On the roof of the greenhouse was… "A cupid's Arrow orchid!" It was a beautiful flower, and she wanted it!

"Oh! Juliet!" her father Lord Redbrick shouted out when he saw her up in the tree. She turned to him in slight exasperation. When she had turned, her foot slipped on an apple, and fell. The apple tumbled to the ground and broke a pot, but Juliet grabbed a branch, did a flip, and slid down a giant leaf before landing upon her feet. Lord Redbrick cringed when he thought she was going to smash.

"Hiya, Dad!" she said with hands on hips, "You won't believe what I found!"

"Do you want to get smashed?" Lord Redbrick demanded in worry.

Ignoring him, Juliet continued, "A flower that will put that Blue garden to shame, over on top of the greenhouse."

Grabbing Juliet's hand, Lord Redbrick shouted, "This feud business is none of your concern." He dragged her over to her pedestal that was in the shape of a tower beside the pond. Sitting just below the tower was a ceramic frog. "And as leader of this garden, it's up to me to –"

"Uh, I am a _Red_ after all," Juliet pointed out to him.

Nanette, the frog opened her mouth and water squirted out of her spout. "Oh, you're just as impulsivated as your mother was." Juliet started washing her hands. "Bless her to bits. Now back to where you belong."

Sighing in exasperation, Juliet climbed up the steps to her tower, "I can't just stay tucked away on this pedestal all my life."

"Don't you see?" said Lord Redbrick following his daughter to the top, "When will you realize you're delicate?"

"I'm _not_ delicate!" she shouted out kicking the rose off her tower.

"She's definitely not delicate," Nanette muttered holding the rose and spitting water out of her mouth.

Lord Redbrick frowned at his daughter and stormed off muttering, "Stubborn girl."

"Right," Juliet growled in anger. She then thought of the orchid and said with a smirk, "Delicate? Hmm! I'll show him who's delicate."

* * *

That night while most of the Red Garden was asleep, Juliet crept off her pedestal and snuck over to the pond. The fishing gnome was snoring and she gently took hold of his fishing line, pulling it out of the water. Pulling the gold fish off the hook, she told it, "Swim away. Be free."

"Oh! Thank you," it said before she dropped it into the pond. It sank to the very bottom and just rested there. It groaned in despair.

Juliet then stole the fishing pole from the sleeping fisher-gnome. She quickly crept over to the wooden gate and used the fishing line to open the lock. Poking her head out of the garden, she gazed at the abandoned greenhouse not far from her and grinned.

Nanette then popped up behind her with a sigh and said, "All this for some daffy flower."

"Yes," Juliet explained, "It's the only way I'll ever be taken seriously around here. And I'm gonna need you to cover, Nanette." The ceramic frog nodded. "If my dad asks, just tell him I'm washing my hair."

"I'm washing my hair," Nanette repeated, then freaked out, "I don't have hair! He'll know it's a lie!"

"No, _my _hair!" Juliet said.

"Got it! I'm washing _your_ hair!" said Nanette, still not getting the concept. She then hopped off.

"Okay, okay, whatever you say. I'll be quick," Juliet called out after her. She opened the door again, but saw a couple of blue gnomes walking by. She shut the door again, her back braced against it.

"Wow!" exclaimed Nanette returning to Juliet's side, "That was quick!"

"I'm too easy to see," said Juliet, "I'm gonna need some kind of disguise."

"Ooh! A new outfit!" Nanette said clapping her hands in excitement, "I'm on it." She hopped off once more, leaving Juliet on her own. The frog quickly came back with an old, tattered pink sock covered in lime green polka dots. She slipped it onto Juliet. "Here. That is cute. Give us a turn," she demanded as Juliet spun around looking like a fat worm. "Nice junk in the trunk. Now, go get your flower."

"Uh," said Juliet when she had stopped turning, "Maybe a tad less fluorescent pink?"

"How much less?" asked Nanette placing hands on hips and narrowing her eyes.

"Try black," said Juliet with a mischievous smile. Nanette pulled the pink sock off of Juliet in a huff and left, returning with a tattered black sock, instead.

"Trust me," said the frog handing the sock to Juliet, "Nobody is going to pay you any attention in _that."_

"Then it's perfect," said Juliet slipping on the sock and turning it into a ninja outfit. She did a few karate moves to show she was ready to go out on her mission.

"Oo! You look hot!" Nanette commented in Japanese.

"I'm going in," said Juliet covering her face. She left the Red Garden stealthily just like a ninja would.

"Take care!" shouted out Nanette, making Juliet roll her eyes, "I'll tell your dad you're doing your hair!" When Nanette had finally disappeared, Juliet headed for the greenhouse.

* * *

"What time was Gnomeo supposed to be back?" Thumbelina asked. We had explored every inch of the Blue Garden that day and were slightly bored. What we really wanted was to know more about the feud between the two different colored gnomes. We had tried asking other gnomes about it, but they just went off about how awful the red gnomes were.

"I think Lady Bluebury said he should be back soon," I replied, "But I'm tired of waiting. Let's go meet up with him somewhere."

My companion agreed, and we travelled around the garden's edges, searching for Gnomeo. After a while, we had found him wearing some sort of camouflage outfit outside the Blue Garden past the giant hedge. We were going to call out his name while he patrolled, but something caught all of our attention. A dark figure had run across the top of the hedge and we silently followed it. The figure didn't know Gnomeo was following it, and he didn't know we were following him. The dark figure suddenly did a flip and landed on their feet. In the moonlight, we could see it was a female gnome wearing all black. I shot a glance at Gnomeo to see a funny look cross his face. My attention returned to the girl gnome. She had run across the hedge some more and was heading for the rundown greenhouse. Gnomeo followed her.

"I wonder who she is," Thumbelina whispered in my ear.

"Don't know," I replied shaking my head, "Come on, let's go find out." We followed the two gnomes over to the building.

We watched the girl use a tree branch to shoot onto the greenhouse's roof, and Gnomeo climb up the side of the building. She was making a beeline for the flower sprouting out from a hole in the ceiling. The two gnomes got to the very top at the exact same time and their hands simultaneously grasped the flower's stem. They stared at each other surprised and the funny look then crossed both of their faces.

I gasped placing a hand over my mouth as I realized what had just happened. _Love at first sight!_

"Let's get a closer look," Thumbelina hissed, and I nodded my consent. We, too, climbed up the side of rundown greenhouse, and stopped, hiding in the shadows with a perfect view of the whole scene.

The glass pane the girl had been standing on suddenly broke, and she fell through the hole, but she grabbed onto the edge of the frame to keep from falling to her death. Both Thumbelina and I gasped in worry. Gnomeo grasped her hand and pulled her back up, but he, too, lost his footing, and slid backwards, pulling her along with him. He caught himself right away, and the girl fell into his arms. They gazed at each other in surprise again before she pulled away.

"Um," the girl said nervously, "You're probably wondering what I'm doing on the roof of your greenhouse. It's just I…. Well, I thought no one lived here."

"They… don't. I mean, I don't. This isn't my garden," Gnomeo explained, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"Oh, well, that's good because I just came to get that orchid," the girl explained pointing to the flower Gnomeo held in his hand.

"Oh. This?" said Gnomeo with a sneaky little grin as he held up the flower.

"Yes," she replied with a smile and nod.

Gnomeo sniffed the orchid, and replied sounding suave, "I don't know, I think I'm going to have to keep ahold of this one."

"What?" said the girl, "But I saw it first, so why don't you just hand it over." She held her hand out to him.

"Well, I grabbed it first," he replied, "Possession is nine-tenths of the law. But if you want it, come and get it."

With hands on hips, the girl said, "All right." She stepped on one pane of glass and it struck Gnomeo's hand, sending the flower up into the air. "Thanks," she said with a smile, catching it.

The pane of glass was titled too high, and she slid backwards into the greenhouse, but held onto the frame. When she had fallen, she dropped the flower, and Gnomeo caught it, and peered down into the greenhouse at the girl.

"Nice greenhouse, eh?" he said teasing her.

"Oh, yeah, you should see it from here," she said dangling a dozen feet from the ground.

"And miss this view?" asked Gnomeo.

The girl grabbed the pane Gnomeo had been standing on, and pulled it. He, too, fell into the greenhouse. Thumbelina and I gasped once again, and found a path into the building to watch the rest of the scene from the shadows. Gnomeo had grabbed onto the frame of the greenhouse, and the girl was dangling from his foot. He had dropped the flower and she caught it in satisfaction. She released his foot and landed on a water pipe. The girl quickly walked across the pipe, but Gnomeo landed upon it and snatched the orchid from her grasp.

"Who's your gnomey?" he said with a teasing grin.

"Who's your gnomey?" she repeated with a scoff.

The pipe beneath Gnomeo suddenly broke, and he fell, dropping the flower, again. He grabbed the end of the broken pipe and sighed in relief.

"Who's your gnomey now?" the girl asked mocking him as she stood safely on another pipe. She tossed him a wire, and he caught it. He swung up onto the pipe to see she was quickly running away with a grin upon her face.

"Hey!" he called after her. Using another wire, he swung around the girl, and snatched the orchid out of her grasp. Looking as if she were having fun, the girl used a fishing line she had stashed in the back of her dress. With the line, she caught the wire Gnomeo was swinging on and pulled him back towards her. The wire was giving way on the ceiling and as he neared the girl, she yanked it out of his hand. The wire headed for her and nearly knocked her off the pipe. With a shriek, she released the pipe and fell, dropping the flower in the process. The girl landed on a bag of manure, and Gnomeo landed on his feet on a crate, both of them unharmed. The flower fell between them, and landed upon a wooden beam. Gnomeo and the girl raced each other to see who would get to the orchid first. Gnomeo scooped up the flower long before she did and waved it in her face triumphantly. She chased him outside onto a tree branch that was suspended over a pond. She suddenly popped up behind him and grasped the flower, but Gnomeo refused to let it go. After a brief round of tug-of-war, they stopped and stared into each other's eyes. It looked as if they were about to kiss when the branch snapped beneath them and they dropped into the pond, the orchid falling onto a lily pad.

"Uh, oh," Thumbelina and I said in unison exchanging worried glances. We left the greenhouse, and quickly climbed back down onto the ground. We started running towards the pond to see if they were okay, but then we saw the girl's head break through the surface. Her ninja outfit was gone, and we could now see she was a red gnome. We ducked down behind some overgrown grass so that she wouldn't see us.

"Oh, no," she said looking scared and swimming towards the edge of the pond, "He's a blue. Not a blue."

Gnomeo came up just moments later, his camouflage outfit gone as well. He looked a bit worried but swam after the girl. The girl had gotten out of the pond and ran passed Thumbelina and me. Gnomeo also left the pond and was hot on her trail. Thumbelina and I exchanged another glance before going after them, keeping to the shadows. The girl finally broke through the hedge into the Red Garden. She slammed into Tybalt and stopped in surprise.

Gnomeo also stopped and hid out of sight of the red gnomes, while Thumbelina and I hid from everyone but had a great view of both parties.

"Juliet," said Tybalt in bewilderment, "You're not allowed off your pedestal. What were you doing out of the Red Garden?"

"Well, um," she said shooting a glance back at Gnomeo, "I was, um, looking for you. I thought you were out on patrol."

"I was on my way out," Tybalt said, "Well, it's a good thing you're safe. The Blue's usually send out their best to patrol and he could have killed you. Yeah, he's an ugly little fellow. Got a scratch, right here." He made a gesture near his right eye.

"And his name's Gnomeo," said the deer, who never seemed to leave Tybalt's side.

"You haven't seen him, have you?" inquired Tybalt.

Juliet sent another glance back at Gnomeo's hiding place, before replying, "Uh…. Ooh. Um…." From our hiding place, Thumbelina and I could see Gnomeo gulp in fear. Juliet continued, "Uh…. He sounds awful. No, I… I, um, certainly haven't seen him. I haven't seen him at all."

"Well, lucky you," said Tybalt gently pushing her back through the Red Garden, "Come on. Let's get you back on your pedestal."

Gnomeo finally came out of his hiding place to stare after them, and Juliet glanced back at him one last time before disappearing from our sights. "Juliet," Gnomeo said softly with a small smile upon his face. He then gazed between the Red Garden, and back towards the Blue Garden. His smile faded as the realization struck him. "A red," he said out loud, "Why, of all things, did she have to be a Red?"

_(Hope you enjoyed, and Happy Holidays!)_


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

_Gnomeo, Juliet, Tybalt. 'Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean'. Red vs. Blue._ I finally understood what was going on! This was a _Romeo & Juliet_ situation! I bit my lip in worry as I remembered the ending to the tragic story.

"We've got to keep an eye on them," I muttered to Thumbelina, "Come on, we'll follow Juliet." We snuck through the hedge keeping well out of Gnomeo's sight and hid inside overgrown flower bushes close to Juliet's tower.

We could see Juliet washing her face looking a bit shaken.

"So, where is the oh-so-important, life-changing orchid?" Nanette inquired when Juliet had finished cleaning up.

Juliet seemed a bit lost as she made her way up to her pedestal. "Um…. Um…. What… what orchid?" Nanette thought about what she said.

Juliet stared up at the sky in a kind of daze. Nanette ran up to Juliet and grasped her by the face, gazing into her green eyes. "What?" Juliet asked.

After a few seconds of staring into Juliet's eyes, Nanette jumped back and exclaimed in delight, "Shut up! You met a boy!"

"What?" Juliet cried, surprised that the frog had figured it out, "No. Well, maybe, sort of. Um…. Yes. Yes, I did."

Nanette grabbed Juliet by the shoulders and shook her. "I _need_ details! And go _slowly!_ Is he totally gorgeous?"

"Totally," Juliet confirmed.

"Does he have a nice rotund belly?" Nanette demanded.

"Well, let's call it sturdy."

"And his, uh…." Nanette pointed to her head and made a triangle above it.

"His hat is, um," Juliet began.

"Big and pointy?"

"And um, you know, I suppose in a certain light, you might say it looks sort of," Juliet whispered in Nanette's ear, "blue."

Nanette stared off into space and repeated, "Blue." She then exclaimed, "Ah! This is one of your little jokes!" She laughed squirting water everywhere before she suddenly stopped. "No, I don't get it." Nanette suddenly gasped figuring out what Juliet meant. "Oh! Flipping, flaming Nora! She's smooching the face off a Blue!"

Afraid to have anyone else hear, Juliet placed her hand over Nanette's mouth, "Shh! Please shush, Nanette. Just zip it."

"Zip," Nanette repeated pretending to zip her mouth shut. She was stifling a giggle, and suddenly sprayed Juliet in the face. Grabbing the red gnome by the shoulders and shaking her, she cried, "Oh! Juliet! This is _fantastic!"_

"Is it?" Juliet asked hopefully.

"It's _doomed,"_ Nanette said.

"What?" Juliet cried in surprise. I cringed silently agreeing with the frog.

"What?" Thumbelina repeated beside me. I motioned for her to be silent so that we could hear the rest.

Nanette explained, "A Red and a Blue. It just _can't_ be. So it's a doomed love, and that's the _best_ kind. You'll never see him again. And then one day when you die, you'll be all 'Oh, my true love. I only saw him once.'"

Juliet stared down at her in disbelief. "I'll only see…. What do you mean…. What are you chatting about 'once', I'll only see him once?"

"How romantically tragic," gushed Nanette. _Yeah, tragic is right if this is anything like the original Romeo and Juliet!_ The frog grabbed a daisy from a bush and began picking off the petals with each sentence she said. "Your love is doomed. Your love is dead. Your love is doomed. Your love is dead. It's doomed. Dead."

As she hopped off with the daisy, Juliet picked up one of the fallen petals and said, "I'll only see him once?"

"Doomed!"

"Aralyne," Thumbelina whispered into my ear shaking my arm.

"What?" I hissed turning towards her.

"Gnomeo's here," she explained, pointing to a spot not far from our hiding place. He, too, was hiding and was staring up at Juliet's pedestal.

Nanette was sitting at the bottom, still plucking petals off the flower and repeating the same words, "Doomed. Dead. Doomed. Dead. Doomed. Dead." Juliet was holding her ceramic rose and gazing up at the sky with a love-sick expression.

We watched as Gnomeo crept ever closer towards Juliet's pedestal.

"O Gnomeo, Gnomeo," Juliet sighed pacing the length of her tower, "are we really doomed, Gnomeo, to never see each other again? Why must you wear a blue hat? Why couldn't it be red like my father, or… or green like a leprechaun? Or purple like, um… like, uh… like some weird guy? I mean, what's in a gnome? Because you're blue, my father sees red, and because I'm red, I'm feeling blue. Oh. At any rate, that shouldn't be the thing to keep us apart, should it?"

"No!" Gnomeo shouted out running out from his hiding place. Juliet turned to him in surprise and I hissed at his stupidity. _If he's caught, he's dead!_ "No, it shouldn't! I couldn't have said it better myself!"

"Oh, my giddy aunt," said Juliet in embarrassment dropping her rose, "Did you just hear all of that? What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Gnomeo admitted a bit nervously, "Um… I came here to…. Well, I don't know, I just wanted to see you again."

"Are you crazy?" she demanded, "If Dad finds you, he'll bury you under the patio!"

"Find me. You kidding? 'Stealth' is my middle name," Gnomeo bragged suddenly stepping on a switch. Bright palm trees shot up from surrounding Juliet's tower, and music began playing loudly echoing around the Red Garden. To be honest, I was surprised the electricity worked out here, but at the same time, I smacked my forehead at Gnomeo's fumble.

"No! Quick! Turn it off!" Juliet cried over the loud music.

"I'm trying!" Gnomeo replied messing with the power switch.

"Do something!" she shouted.

"The button's stuck!" he explained, "Come on." He started stomping on the button.

"He's going to get caught," Thumbelina worriedly said into my ear, and I nodded. There was no doubt that the other red gnomes have seen and heard the commotion. It was just a matter of time before one of them actually showed up.

"It won't turn off!" said Gnomeo slamming the switch into a tree. He started tugging on the wire and suddenly got himself tangled in it. I smacked my head again. _Real smooth, Gnomeo!_

"Juliet," said Nanette hopping over to the pedestal, "What's with the –"

"Excuse me, a little help here," Gnomeo said desperately.

Juliet said hopping off her pedestal, "My dad's coming."

"So you must be Gnomeo," said Nanette shaking his hand, "Lovely to meet you… in the 30 seconds before you're discovered and killed."

Juliet jumped in between them and said, "Quick, hide."

"Juliet," said Lord Redbrick making me and Thumbelina gasp as we turned our heads towards him. He was heading towards Juliet's pedestal. "I've told you before, no music in the grotto after 10:00." He pulled a plug out of its socket and the lights and music died out. Thumbelina and I turned our attention back to Juliet and Nanette to see that Gnomeo was missing.

"Where did he go?" I muttered frantically searching for him.

"I don't know," Thumbelina replied fretfully.

"What's going on here?" Lord Redbrick demanded.

"Um," said Juliet shooting a glance over at the pond, "It was a… um… I saw a squirrel, and he… he dropped his nuts." Lord Redbrick picked up the switch that Gnomeo had destroyed and eyed his daughter suspiciously.

"Yes," Nanette confirmed, "nuts, the size of… _boulders!"_

"Yes, all right. Thank you, Nanette," said Juliet.

"Well, okay, but no mucking about, especially not tonight," said Lord Redbrick buying their lie, "We have big plans for the Blues tomorrow." Nanette, Juliet, Thumbelina, and I all gasped in unison. Lord Redbrick continued as he began pacing, "And when I get my hands on a Blue, he'll be sleeping with the fishes!" Gnomeo's head suddenly popped out of the pond, and all of us girls gasped again. "Now, I'm not a man who is wounded up easily!" He began turning back to face the girls, but Nanette hopped forward, grabbed his arm, and turned him away from the pond.

"Lord Redbrick," she said, "I've been having problems with my," she opened her mouth and said something while pointing to the spout in her mouth.

"Your what?" inquired Lord Redbrick. She said something again still pointing to her spout.

"I guess this isn't the best time to talk," Gnomeo whispered to Juliet floating in the pond.

"It's not ideal," she said keeping an eye on her father.

"But I –"

"Just go. Please go."

"– just came to say I –"

"What? You what?"

"I'm –"

Juliet heard Nanette and her father returning. "Oh, sorry." She said pushing Gnomeo back underwater with her foot.

"Juliet," said Lord Redbrick, "is there something wrong with the pond?" He was about to peer into the water, but Juliet obstructed his view.

"The pond?" said Juliet, "No. What, this pond? No, it's fine. I mean, it's just as pondy as ever. Oh, my gosh! What is that _thing_ over there?" She began pushing her father away from the pond.

"What? What was it?" asked Lord Redbrick as Nanette gestured for Gnomeo to get out of the pond.

"The… _thing,_ over there," Juliet replied when Gnomeo was out and running to hide.

"What did it look like?" inquired Lord Redbrick.

"Oh, it looked like a really…."

"Okay," said Nanette shoving Gnomeo into the hedge so that he could go back to the Blue Garden, "bye-bye then. Off you go. Thanks for popping by. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels or pigeons or sparrows or whatever. Parting is such sweet sorrow." She headed back towards the pedestal while Gnomeo walked out of our sight.

"Oh," said Thumbelina crestfallen. We were going to turn and leave when Juliet returned to the pond.

"Nanette, where's Gnomeo? Is he gone?" she asked.

"Yeah. Gone forever," Nanette confirmed.

"What?!" Juliet cried sounding heartbroken. She ran over to the hedge and climbed onto Nanette's back to peer into the Blue garden.

"Whoa!" we heard Gnomeo cry out. Thumbelina and I moved over a few paces to see on both sides of the hedge. Gnomeo was dangling from the hedge with one hand while he held the orchid in the other hand. "I think you'll find this _does,_ actually belong to you," he said handing her the orchid between the branches of the hedge that sort of resembled bars.

"Thank you," said Juliet and they leaned in to kiss, but they stopped about an inch short of making contact. Juliet chuckled and pulled away from him. She pulled her head out from between the branches, but Gnomeo seemed tobe having trouble pulling himself free.

"I can't go," said Gnome after a while, giving up the struggle.

"I know how you feel," Juliet said dreamily.

"No, really," he said, "I'm stuck." I finally got a good look at him to see his head was stuck between the branches and he was just dangling there like an idiot. I smacked my head again. _Not exactly a romantic moment, Gnomeo._ Both of the gnomes were laughing and Thumbelina quietly giggled beside me. "So, uh… can I see you again tomorrow?" Gnomeo asked hopefully.

Juliet replied, "Yes, but not here."

"Back in the old greenhouse then?" he suggested.

"Noon?"

"Not soon enough."

"I can do 11:45," she said.

"Done," agreed Gnomeo, "That frog was right. Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Juliet kissed her fingertips before placing them upon Gnomeo's lips. She then shoved his head through the branches and he popped out free, almost falling backwards, but he clasped her hand to keep from tumbling to his death.

Their hands parted and Juliet started lowering herself back onto the ground. "Thanks, Nanette."

The frog was scowling and said, "You know he's going to ditch you when he finds out how much you weigh."

I snorted at Nanette's comment while Thumbelina said, "That's mean." We then watched Gnomeo climb off the hedge and return to the Blue Garden.

"Come on," I said to my companion as we followed Gnomeo. When we were out in the clear, we made our way to Gnomeo.

"Hello, ladies," he said with a smile when he saw us. He wrapped his arms around our shoulders and added, "Lovely night, isn't it?"

Thumbelina and I exchanged glances and suppressed giggles. "Wow, you're in a good mood," I commented, "Anything interesting happen while you were out patrolling?"

Pulling away from us, he winked at me and said, "Let's just say I've never had a more wondrous night."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

_(Song in this chapter is "Magical World" - with one alteration - by Blackmore's Night.)_

I had wanted to leave the gnomes as soon as the sun was up, but after seeing the whole _Romeo & Juliet _scene between Gnomeo and Juliet – the similarities between the stories were eerie, I had to admit – I couldn't leave when I thought their lives might be in danger. If this ended up following the Shakespeare play exactly, then that meant five people were going to die, Gnomeo and Juliet included. So, instead of leaving, Thumbelina and I stayed. I didn't tell Thumbelina my suspicions; she just thought we were helping two star-crossed lovers be together. At 11:45 when Gnomeo snuck off towards the greenhouse, I told Thumbelina to watch both gardens to make sure no one discovered their secret, while I went after them to make sure nothing went wrong.

Gnomeo had arrived at the greenhouse first and was gazing at his reflection in a piece of broken glass on the ground while I hid inside a clump of weeds well out of his sight. He began to practice what he was going to say and I had to stifle a laugh. _Was he seriously doing this?_ "Hey there, Juliet. What a name. It's a great name. Goes with your… eyes." I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud, and ended up emitting this loud snort. Thankfully, he didn't hear me, and continued on, "You're looking really cool. You're looking good. Did it hurt when you fell down from heaven?" I could feel my face turning red from the struggle of not laughing right then and there. "That's a killer, man. Yeah, no. You're looking cool. Yeah. How's it going with you, baby?"

"Oh, I'm fine, baby. How are you?" said Juliet sneaking up behind him. She had a little grin upon her face holding the orchid in her hands.

Startled, he spun around to face her. "Uh… uh… Never better." He rested against a pile of logs, and dislodged the bottom log. As the pile started tumbling over, Juliet dropped her flower and shoved him out of the way, and they fell on the ground in a heap.

"Do you think anyone heard that?" Juliet whispered pulling away from him and looking around.

"There's nobody here," Gnomeo whispered in return. _Yeah, as far as you know_.

"Then why are you whispering?" she asked.

"Why are _you_ whispering?" he countered.

Her gaze shifted to something behind him, and she gasped in surprise. "Oh! Look at that!" she cried jumping to her feet and running off.

"Guess we're done with the whispering thing then," Gnomeo muttered in disappointment. He got up and followed her and they soon made it to an extremely rusted lawnmower.

"It's a 1950's MacAllister Ranger," Juliet said eyeing the machine in awe. "Let's start her up!"

"Yeah! Okay," Gnomeo agreed jumping onto the lawnmower, "Check out the power on this beauty." He pulled the cord, but it didn't start. He tried again, but with the same results.

"Here, let me try," said Juliet. Gnomeo jumped off the lawnmower and she climbed on. She pulled the cord, and the engine began running.

"Juliet, wait," he called out to her.

"Oh, here it comes," she said rolling her eyes, "I'm too delicate, right?"

"No, no," he said shaking his head, "I was going to say, don't hold back. Let her rip."

"Oh! Really?" she said in surprise.

"Yeah," he agreed grinning up at her.

Juliet started driving the lawnmower and began cutting some of the overgrown grass. She made a turn and started heading in my direction. With a shriek, I dove out of the clump of weeds out into plain view. Seeing me, Juliet brought the machine to a halt and jumped off of it. Both of the gnomes stared at me wide-eyed as I was still splayed out on the ground.

"Um… hi," I said sheepishly standing up and dusting myself off.

"Aralyne, what are you doing here?" Gnomeo asked.

"I was, um, following you on your, uh, date," I replied feeling like an idiot.

"Date?" the two gnomes simultaneously said in surprise, "No! No."

"Not dating. Fighting."

"Fighting to the death."

"Mortal enemies here."

"Yeah, don't you see it?"

"He's a Blue!"

"And she's a red!"

"Yeah," I said, shuffling my feet in the dirt, "I'm just, uh, I'm just gonna go now. 'Bye!" I turned and ran heading back towards the Blue Garden. But once I was sure that they couldn't see me anymore, I hid deep inside a bush, and continued to watch them.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Gnomeo?" Lady Bluebury asked as she searched the entire Blue Garden for her son.

Thumbelina left her post from the hedge separating the two gardens and ran to Lady Bluebury. "Um, I think he went on patrol," said Thumbelina making sure that the gnome stayed away from the greenhouse.

"Oh, but, he's not supposed to be on patrol until tonight," said Lady Bluebury, then she looked around once more to see that someone else was missing from the garden, "And where's Aralyne?"

"Well, um," said Thumbelina, "I think he said something about wanting to make sure the Red's don't try anything and Aralyne went with him."

"We need him here, now," said Lady Bluebury as the blue gnomes began to surround her holding all sorts of make-shift weapons. She looked at them all and shouted out, "Unleash the dogs of war!" Everyone cheered and one by one the blue gnomes ran to the hedge and jumped through it into the Red Garden.

"What?!" Thumbelina cried, running after them, "No!" Pushing her way through the hedge, she could see a war breaking out between the red and blue gnomes. "No! No! No! No! No!" Turning away, she ran straight for the greenhouse. "Aralyne!"

* * *

When Gnomeo and Juliet had made sure that I was no longer around, they both sat down laughing.

"That was a close one," said Juliet.

"Yeah, it was," Gnomeo agreed, "For a second I thought she was going to rat us out!"

"She won't, will she?" Juliet inquired, her brow furrowing with worry. I smiled at them from my hiding spot. _No, I won't_.

Gnomeo shook his head and replied, "No, I don't believe she will."

"Okay," Juliet said changing the subject, "I've got a confession to make. I've never actually driven a mower."

"No, you're a natural," Gnomeo complimented her.

"Well, my dad, he's a little overprotective," she explained lying down on her back. They smiled at each other before Gnomeo lay down, too, and they gazed up at the blue sky.

"You know this is crazy, right?" said Gnomeo.

"Yeah," Juliet agreed.

"I just never imagined that I could fall for a Red."

"And me a Blue. No way."

"My whole life, my mum raised me to hate you guys, you Reds," he said shooting her a glance, "So, this could never work. Could it?"

"Well, a Red and a Blue, it just can't be. Can it?" she asked as they gazed at each other.

Gnomeo suddenly jumped to his feet and picked the orchid up from the ground. Returning to Juliet, he took hold of her hands, and pulled her up to her feet. "Juliet," he said, "What if we don't go back?"

"Never go back?" she inquired in a quiet voice, "But what about my dad? And Nanette? And the Red Garden?"

"You see, the truth is," said Gnomeo, "over there, we're enemies. But here? Here, we're a matching pair." He got down on one knee and I gasped. _Is he doing what I think he's doing?_ "Juliet, will you stay here and build a garden with me?" I deflated in a huff. _Okay, so it's not a wedding proposal, but it's a start._

"I'd love to," Juliet replied taking the orchid from him. They both got down on their knees and planted the flower in a patch of soil. They stood up and held hands, leaning in for a kiss.

At that moment, I heard panting behind me, and turned to see Thumbelina out of breath heading my way. "Thumbelina," I hissed, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to watch the –"

"Aralyne!" she gasped coming to a halt and holding a stitch on her side, "The gnomes! They…. They started a war! We have to… stop them!"

"What?!" I screeched, then ran out of the hedge shouting, "Gnomeo!" The two gnomes broke apart before they could kiss and gazed at me again in surprise. I grabbed their hands and started dragging them towards the hedge. "We have to go! The Reds and Blues started a war!"

"What?!" they yelled in unison as we followed Thumbelina into the Red Garden.

We arrived to see everyone fighting. Some gnomes were using garden tools to fight, while others were shooting each other with blueberries and some sort of red berries. Everything was in chaos!

"We have to stop this!" Juliet cried out, running into the melee. We followed her as she made a path towards her pedestal. Right as we reached the tower, Gnomeo was struck with a red berry and fell over into the pond. He swam up a moment later, and Thumbelina helped him out of the water. The tiny red gnomes suddenly charged at us, and Gnomeo fought them off, one by one. Eventually he had sent them all running, and we had managed to climb up to the top of the tower. We shouted out, trying to get everyone's attention, but no one heard us.

Looking around frantically, I saw that someone had pulled out the red lawnmower, and it was now moving about on its own. And, to my horror, it was heading straight for the pedestal.

"Thumbelina," I yelled out, grabbing my friend's hand, "We have to stop the mower!" I dragged her off the tower, and we ran towards the machine, dodging all sorts of fights. We jumped onto the lawnmower and tried getting it to stop, but it wouldn't. It was still heading straight for the tower, and my friends standing upon the pedestal didn't seem to notice.

"Gnomeo! Juliet!" Thumbelina shouted out, but it was too late. Right before the machine smashed into the tower, I grabbed Thumbelina's hand and jumped off the mower dragging her behind me. We landed on the ground in a heap right as there was a huge explosion above us. A bunch of debris rained around us and everything was silent. I could feel Thumbelina shaking beside me as I lifted my head to see the damage. The Red Garden was destroyed and all of the gnomes stood up looking disoriented. They were making their way towards us, and I finally saw that the tower was gone. In its place was nothing but a pile of rubble. Even the lawnmower was off to the side in a bunch of scraps.

"Oh, no," Thumbelina whispered, and started to cry. I didn't say anything, but I did feel that my own face was wet with tears. This was like _Romeo & Juliet_; they both died! It wasn't fair! Curling my hands into fists, I burst out sobbing.

The red and blue gnomes looked at each other and started yelling.

"This is your fault!"

"No, it's yours!"

Hearing their arguments, I fumed, and wiped the tears from my eyes. Getting to my feet, I yelled at them all. _"STOP IT!"_ They all fell silent and gaped at me in surprise. "Don't you see it's _both your fault_ that they died! You and your _stupid_ feud!" They all exchanged ashamed glances.

There was the sound of something shifting behind me, and I spun around to see a hand had burst out of the pile of rubble. Gnomeo stood up, looking sore and exhausted, then he dove back down into the rubble again, and when he stood back up, it was with Juliet who seemed dazed. Everyone in the garden cheered, and I couldn't help but laugh as I stared up at them.

Thumbelina shrieked, "They're alive!" as she grabbed me in a hug and jumped in place.

Lord Redbrick and Lady Bluebury walked up to each other and shook hands.

"This feud," said Lord Redbrick.

"Is over," Lady Bluebury concluded.

Everyone cheered again. Gnomeo and Juliet smiled at each other, and finally got to kiss, this time before the whole gnome community.

"Oh, come on!" Thumbelina said taking hold of my hand and pulling me up onto the pedestal.

"What?" I said as Gnomeo and Juliet broke apart and stepped aside for us.

Wiping away the last of her tears, Thumbelina said, "We have to sing a song for them!" She started:

"_I called your name out loud in the courtyard,_

_The crystal I held was like an old friend_

_The vines crawled the walls_

_The wind held its breath_

_But the answer I longed for never came…."_

She and I began dancing, and the gnomes followed our lead. She continued on as she twirled around the red and blue gnomes:

"_Your name, they had said_

_Was cursed beyond measure,_

_The families at odds fought with poisoned tongues_

_And yet through the dark,_

_Of blind, bitter hate,_

_Broke a glittering light of two lover's fate…_

_Walls built between us,_

_Miles separate us,_

_Yet in our hearts, we share the same dream…_

_Feelings so strong_

_We just must carry on,_

_On to our Magical World…"_

Smiling, I took up the next half of the song as I stayed on the pile of rubble and circled Gnomeo and Juliet:

"_Destiny called them like a silver poem_

_They followed the dance 'till the music died out…_

_Last time they met was on an earth bed_

_Both knowing they'd meet again in the light…_

_Walls built between us,_

_Miles separate us,_

_Yet in our hearts we share the same dream_

_Feelings so strong_

_We just must carry on…_

_On to our Magical World…_

_In our Magical World… In our Magical World…"_

Thumbelina rejoined me on top of the rubble and we sang the next part together smiling at Gnomeo and Juliet:

"_Fear not, dear Juliet, your Gnomeo's calling_

_He's waiting for you at the end of the song,_

_This world was too cruel… for lovers like you,_

_But here in our hearts you'll always live on…_

_Walls built between us,_

_Miles separate us,_

_Yet in our hearts we share the same dreams_

_Feelings so strong_

_We just must carry on…_

_On to our Magical World…_

_Walls built between us,_

_Miles separate us,_

_Yet in our hearts we share the same dreams_

_Feelings so strong_

_We just must carry on…_

_On to our Magical World…_

_Walls built between us,_

_Miles separate us,_

_Yet in our hearts we share the same dreams_

_Feelings so strong_

_We just must carry on…_

_On to our Magical, Magical, Magical World…_

_Between us_

_So strong_

_On to our Magical, Magical, Magical World…_

_Between us_

_So strong_

_On to our Magical, Magical, Magical World…"_

When we had finished, we were laughing as we took a bow and all of the gnomes cheered for us.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

_(Songs in this chapter are "Journey to the Past" from the movie "Anastasia", and "Dreaming My Way Home" by Barbara Kesseler.)_

After making sure the gnomes had signed a peace treaty and helping them clean up their gardens, Thumbelina and I finally said our good-byes and left the gardens.

"So, where do we go now?" she asked as we hiked through the woods.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, "I really have to get back to my friends, though. What about you? Do you have a family to go to?"

"Actually," she began, but then lowered her head and said, "No. When I said I was at the Beetle Ball for a while, I really meant my whole life."

I stared at her in bewilderment, unable to believe what I had just heard. I stuttered, "But – but you _must_ have a family _somewhere!_ You can't have just _appeared_ out of thin air!"

She gave me a sad look and replied, "There are other mice. There are other monkeys. But there's only one like me. Only one me. Only one. Have you ever seen any other person my size? I must be the only tiny person in the whole world!"

"No," I said shaking my head trying to recall what I knew of fairytales, "There's Tom Thumb, and… and… and I think I read somewhere that fairies can be as tiny as this."

"Beetle told me, he had found me under a leaf when I was a baby," she said quietly "and that I would have died if he hadn't taken me in."

I continued to shake my head. "After the little weasel had lied to me, I believe he lied to you, too. You _do_ belong somewhere, and it's not with him! You have a family, and we're going to find them!" I declared.

"We are?" she said her eyes widening, "But how? I mean, this place is _so big!_ Where would we start?"

"We'll find a way," I replied giving her an encouraging smile.

Throwing her arms around me in a hug, she cried, "Oh, thank you, Aralyne! Thank you!"

Laughing, I took hold of her hand and led her through the forest.

* * *

Eric had snuck away from the others and was now alone in the bayou. They had been searching for Aralyne for over a day, but haven't found any sign of her or Naveen. _I swear, that girl is more trouble than she's worth!_ Eric thought bitterly. Making sure no one was watching, he used magic to create an image of Tzekel-Kan.

"What is it?" Tzekel-Kan demanded when he saw Eric, "Is the girl normal, again? Are you on your way back?"

"No," Eric growled then admitted, "She went missing again."

"_What?!_" roared Tzekel-Kan, "_What happened?_"

"Look, it wasn't my fault," Eric explained, "Mozenrath, Zira, and that rat with wings, Fidget, arrived and tried to take her. Aralyne went to hide, but once we had killed the lion and bat, and sent that sorcerer running, we found that she had disappeared. We're searching for her now, but I don't know how long it will take."

"When you find her, make sure she doesn't leave your sight!" Tzekel-Kan hissed, "Don't contact me again until you've got her and are ready to present her to me!" The image faded out.

* * *

When night had fallen, Thumbelina and I were searching for a place to stay the night and came upon a tiny house just our size. Not really caring about who or what lived there, we marched right up to the door and knocked.

"Yes?" said a female mouse poking her head out of the door.

"Hi," I said, "My name's Aralyne, and this is my friend, Thumbelina. We're looking for a place to stay the night, and we were wondering if you would spare us a room?"

"Goodness, yes!" she said opening the door a little wider and waving us inside. "Come in! Come in!" My friend and I exchanged grins before scuttling into the home.

"I was just making dinner," said the mouse running to her stove and making sure nothing had burned. She then poured two mugs of hot tea and handed one to each of us. "I'm Ms. Fieldmouse," she introduced herself to us, then said to my companion, "I remember you, Thumbelina. I went to the Beetle Ball once a couple of years ago and saw you perform. You have such a beautiful voice."

"Thank you," Thumbelina replied blushing.

"Now, if you girls don't mind," said Ms. Fieldmouse running to her oven and pulling out a pan of what looked like buns, "I must run over and take these corn cakes to Mr. Mole. He lives just down the tunnel. Care to join me?" She put the corncakes into a basket.

"Sure," I replied with a smile, and Thumbelina nodded. She handed Thumbelina the basket to hold.

As we left Ms. Fieldmouse's home through another door and travelled through a tunnel, the rodent said to Thumbelina, "You must sing for Mr. Mole. He loves sweet things."

The further down into the tunnel we went, the darker it got, and my eyes had to adjust to the gloom. We soon arrived at a giant whole, which I could only guess was Mr. Mole's home. There were all sorts of jewels and gold coins littering the area outside his door and I stared at them in amazement. _What could a mole possibly need money for?_

Ms. Fieldmouse opened the door to his home without knocking and poked her head inside. "Good afternoon, Mr. Mole," she said walking inside and Thumbelina and I followed her.

Mr. Mole was richly dressed and holding a cup of tea, but I could see he had spilt its contents on the floor. He faced us, his nose twitching, and I wondered if he were blind.

"Ms. Fieldmouse," he said, "Good afternoon. Lovely day."

"I want you to meet two new friends of mine," she said straight away and introduced us, "Thumbelina, and Aralyne. They just came down from _up there_." She pointed to the ceiling and Thumbelina smiled holding the basket of corncakes out to him. When Mr. Mole didn't reach for them, my suspicions about his eyesight were proven correct.

"Up there?" he repeated in confusion.

"_Up there_," said Ms. Fieldmouse emphasizing her point.

Mr. Mole then replied, "Terrible place." He then sniffed the corncakes, leaning in close to my friend. "How do you do, Miss Thumbelina?" he said holding his giant hand out to her, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"How do you do, Mr. Mole?" she said politely shaking his hand.

He then turned to me and held out his hand. "Same goes for you, Aralyne." _Okay, maybe not as blind as I think._

"Hello," I said, shaking his hand as well.

"Come in. Come in," he said gesturing us into his home, "And don't touch anything. These are my things."

"We brought some corn cakes for you. Just you try one, Mr. Mole," said Ms. Fieldmouse pushing Thumbelina towards him.

He took one and noisily ate it, dropping crumbs all over the floor. I had to hide my disgust so that I wouldn't seem rude. "Very nice," he said, "Well, tell us about up there. I went up once. Nearly blinded me. Hurried as fast as I could back down where it's dark and decent."

"Oh. Uh, but," I began, but I didn't know what to say. What could I say to a mole who spent most of his time in the dark?

Setting down the basket of corncakes, Thumbelina replied, "I love the light!"

"I hate it," Mr. Mole snapped, "End of story."

I stared at him in disbelief. _Rude much?_

Ms. Fieldmouse had occupied an armchair and an idea seemed to have popped into her mind. "Story," she said, "Aralyne, tell Mr. Mole a story. A lovely, sad story."

"Um," I said nervously, "I'm actually not very good at telling stories. I'm sorry."

"Okay," said Ms. Fieldmouse, "Sing, Thumbelina, sing!"

"Yes," Mr. Mole agreed then pointed to – I guess it was a coffee table – and said, "Stand right there, where I can see you." She stood on top of the table, while Mr. Mole sat in another armchair and I moved over to the side to watch her performance.

"_Heart, don't fail me now!_

_Courage, don't desert me!_

_Don't turn back now that we're here._

_People always say_

_Life is full of choices._

_No one ever mentions fear!_

_Or how the world can seem so vast_

_On a journey… to the past_

_Somewhere down this road_

_I know someone's waiting._

_Years of dreams just can't be wrong!_

_Arms will open wide._

_I'll be safe and wanted_

_Fin'lly home where I belong._

_Well, starting now, I'm learning fast_

_On this journey – to the past_

_Home, Love, Family_

_There was once a time_

_I must have had them, too._

_Home, Love, Family._

_I will never be complete_

_Until I find you…_

_One step at a time,_

_One hope, then another,_

_Who knows where this road may go –_

_Back to who I was,_

_On to find my future,_

_Things my heart still needs to know._

_Yes, let this be a sign!_

_Let this road be mine!_

_Let it lead me to my past_

_And bring me home…_

_At last!"_

"Wonderful song," said Ms. Fieldmouse as I grinned at my friend.

"Yes, quite lovely," said Mr. Mole, then cleared his throat, "Ms. Fieldmouse, could I have a word with you?"

"I wish you would!" she exclaimed. He then leaned closer to her and whispered something in her ear.

From where I was standing, it was hard to hear, but I did catch a few words that he said. "… been meaning to…."

"What a lovely idea," said Ms. Fieldmouse.

"… find myself… lonely…."

"What could be more natural?" said Ms. Fieldmouse.

"And I wonder if… help me… persuade… Thumbelina…?"

Ms. Fieldmouse shot my friend a glance who shifted uncomfortably and scooted over to my side. "Thumbelina?"

"She could… tell… stories…. Helping… match… reward…."

"I will! I will!" Ms. Fieldmouse exclaimed. I eyed them suspiciously. Nothing good ever came out of two people whispering about someone when the third party was in the room. I had a bad feeling about this, but I didn't know what. "Leave the arrangements to me." She then faced us and said, "Aralyne, Thumbelina, we must be going home now."

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Mole," I said with a smile and nod right as Thumbelina and I followed Ms. Fieldmouse out of his house. We travelled right back through the tunnel and returned to her house.

She gave us a couple of blankets and pillows and we made make-shift beds on the floor.

"Sweet dreams," she said before leaving us and entering her room.

"Thanks again, Aralyne, for helping me find a home," said Thumbelina with a yawn as she gave me a tired grin.

"No problem," I said returning her smile. She soon fell asleep, and I was left awake staring at her. Hey, if I couldn't find my way home, back to my real world, then I could at least help someone find their home. I thought of a song I once heard a long time ago and whispered the lyrics to myself so as not to wake Thumbelina.

"_There is a place I'm longing for tonight,_

_A place I love; so far, far away._

_And there's in my heart, a treasure buried deep inside._

_And I'll keep wondering until I find it again, someday._

_Somewhere the flowers are in bloom,_

_A candle burning in a room._

_There is comfort in the darkest night,_

_Even when there is no star in sight._

_Every time I close my eyes it's all I see._

_I am haunted by a timeless memory._

_And no matter what I do or where I roam,_

_I will still be dreaming my way home._

_Time froze, but I kept moving on._

_All I have loved, all I have known._

_I turned around, and in a moment it was gone._

_Still I believe I'm never far from home._

_Somewhere the flowers are in bloom,_

_I can almost smell their perfume._

_Somewhere a candle, still burning bright,_

_Brings comfort to the darkest night._

_Every time I close my eyes it's all I see._

_I get lost inside a timeless reverie._

_And no matter what I do or where I roam,_

_I will still be dreaming my way home."_

Turning over on my back, I stared up at the ceiling with tears in my eyes. I missed my family and my friends. I missed the normalcy, back when I thought stories were nothing but stories, and not real people in a different world. I wanted to go home!

"_Every time I close my eyes it's all I see._

_I am haunted by a timeless memory._

_And no matter what I do or where I roam,_

_I will still be dreaming my way home._

_I will still be dreaming my way home…."_

After wiping the tears from my eyes, I finally drifted off to sleep….


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

_(Songs in this chapter are "Marry the Mole" from the movie "Thumbelina", "I Am All Alone" from the movie "The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina", and "Let Me Be Your Wings Reprise" from the movie "Thumbelina".)_

I sat up gasping, wide awake when I heard a loud _clang!_ Getting my bearings, I found I was back in Mr. Mole's house locked up in a cage. He and Ms. Fieldmouse were sneering down at me through the bars. Damn, I knew I was a sound sleeper, but how in the world did I not feel them transferring me through the tunnel.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" I demanded jumping to my feet and grasping the bars. Although, I had a pretty good idea as to what they were up to. "You're in league with the Evil One, too aren't you?"

"What?" said Mr. Mole, "No, I do not work for anyone up there." I gaped at them in surprise, _What?_ I didn't know if that was a relief or not considering I was now locked up. "Ms. Fieldmouse, go get her."

"Of course, Mr. Mole," said Ms. Fieldmouse, then left leaving us alone.

_Her?_ My eyes widened at the realization. "Thumbelina! If you _dare_ hurt her, I'll –"

"You're in no position to be making threats, Miss Aralyne," he growled at me smacking the cage bars with his cane.

* * *

"Oh, Thumbelina," said Ms. Fieldmouse shaking the sleeping girl by the shoulder. Thumbelina's eyes fluttered open and she groaned a little.

"Yes?" she said sitting up then looked around to see her friend was missing. "Where's Aralyne?"

"Come with me, and I'll show you," said Ms. Fieldmouse motioning her to follow. Thumbelina scrambled out of her borrowed blanket and stood up. She followed Ms. Fieldmouse through the tunnel towards Mr. Mole's home.

"What is she doing back here?" Thumbelina inquired quietly as Ms. Fieldmouse opened Mr. Mole's front door. Upon entering the house, she was horrified to see her friend locked in a cage and gasped.

* * *

"Aralyne!" Thumbelina cried running towards me. She reached through the bars of the cage and grasped my hand, holding it close. "My dear, dear friend. What have they done to you?"

"Thumbelina, I'm fine," I said, "Just be careful, okay? Promise me that you'll be careful?"

"I will," she agreed nodding her head.

"Now, Miss Thumbelina," said Mr. Mole, "I have a proposition for you."

Pulling her hand from mine, she turned to face him and said, "What kind of proposition?"

"I want you to marry me," he said moving forward and stroking her cheek.

I gagged in disgust as she pulled away from him scowling. "And if I refuse?" she demanded.

With a frown, he pulled the top of his cane off, and what came out was a sword. He then pointed the tip of the weapon directly at my throat, and I backed up in fear until I slammed into the opposite side of the cage. He leaned in closer and the point was still able to prick my throat. I could feel a drop of blood run down my neck as I started hyperventilating in fear. "I'll kill Aralyne," Mr. Mole concluded. _Yup! Him not working for the Evil One was definitely a lot worse!_

"No!" Thumbelina cried pushing the sword away from me. Breathing a sigh of relief, I slumped down onto my behind. "I'll – I'll do it."

My eyes widened at her answer. She was going to do that for me? No, I couldn't let her do that! Not after I had promised to help her find her family. "Thumbelina, no!" I said jumping back to my feet. Making sure to avoid Mr. Mole's sword, I ran back to her side and grasped the bars. "I made you a promise, Thumbelina, and I'm not going to let you down!"

She turned to me and I saw tears in her eyes. "Aralyne, it's okay. I – I –" she swallowed the lump in her throat, "I want to do this." Thumbelina gave me a small watery smile. "You're the only friend I've ever had, Aralyne, and I can't bear to lose you."

"Oh, Thumbelina," I said quietly feeling tears sting my eyes.

"It's settled then!" cried Mr. Mole excitedly. He finally pulled the sword out of the cage, and stuck it back inside his cane. "Ms. Fieldmouse, if you would please, take Thumbelina back to your house and make preparations for the wedding."

"Of course, Mr. Mole," said Ms. Fieldmouse. She took hold of Thumbelina's arm and pulled her back through the tunnel. "Come along, Thumbelina."

They left, and I was once more alone with Mr. Mole.

* * *

"All the same, we'll make it a thrilling wedding," said Ms. Fieldmouse locking the door with a giant key. She was wearing her nightgown and was getting ready for bed. She marched over to Thumbelina who was sitting before a mirror sadly staring at her reflection. "Why, it's a wonderful match! Mr. Mole is the richest rodent for miles around. Educated, well-dressed, highly thought of. Never mind that he can't see. That's all the better."

"I don't care," Thumbelina said quietly turning to face Ms. Fieldmouse, "I don't love him."

Ms. Fieldmouse rolled her eyes at the girl's naivety. "Love? Love is what we read about in books, my dear." She began to sing:

"'_Here Comes the Bride'_

_Is a lovely little ditty_

_But marrying for love _

_Is a foolish thing to do_

'_Cause love won't pay the mortgage_

_Or put porridge in your bowl_

_Dearie, marry the mole_

_True, it's a fact that he's not exactly witty_

_He's blinder than a bat_

_But at least his eyes are blue_

_His breath may be alarming_

_But he's charming for a troll_

_Dearie, marry the mole_

_Romeo and Juliet_

_Were very much in love_

_When they were wed_

_They honored every vow_

_So where are they now?_

_They're dead, dead_

_Very, very dead_

_Poor Thumbelina_

_Your brain's so itty-bitty_

_I hate to seem a pest_

_But I know what's best for you_

_Just think of all the ways_

_That you can decorate a hole_

_Take my advice_

_I'll bring the rice_

_Dearie, marry the mole_

_Marry the mole_

_Marry that mole_

_M is for money_

_O-L-E"_

"I will," Thumbelina said quietly turning her back to Ms. Fieldmouse, "I will marry the mole."

* * *

By noon Tink, Terence, Cornelius, and Naveen had arrived at the Red and Blue Gardens. Upon landing amongst the sea of gnomes, Naveen said to the ceramic figures, "Excuse us, we're looking for a girl named Aralyne. Have any of you seen her?"

"Yes," said Gnomeo as he and Juliet stepped forward holding hands, "She was here with Thumbelina, but they left yesterday."

"Who's Thumbelina?" inquired Tink, but then shook her head, "Never mind. Can you tell us where they were going?"

"Don't know," Juliet replied with a shrug, "But we did get news a couple of hours ago that Thumbelina is to marry Mr. Mole. Word spreads quickly through this forest."

Lord Redbrick added, "The girls seemed attached at the hip. I don't think they'd travel very far from each other."

"Yes," agreed Lady Bluebury, "They may still be together. Mr. Mole's home isn't far from here, maybe a mile or so east."

"Thank you," said Cornelius with a nod. Tink picked up Naveen again, and the three fairies soared through the forest towards Mr. Mole's hole.

* * *

Beetle had been passing by the gnomes' garden when he heard the news about Thumbelina's wedding. "Oh, not good. Not good," he muttered, "Grundel's not goin' to like this." He turned and ran back in search of the toad he was now working for.

* * *

Thumbelina was sitting before the mirror in her dressing room alone. She had hoped that the wedding would take at least a few months to plan, but Mr. Mole wanted to get married right away, so now she was wearing a hideous poufy dress, and her long red hair was pulled into two braids that stuck out on both sides of her head. She stared at her reflection as tears filled her eyes, thinking of the family and happily ever after she's always wanted, but will now never have. Thumbelina began to sing:

"_I am all alone_

_Always on my own_

_There's nobody in this whole wide world_

_For me to love_

_Always by myself_

_Stuck here on the shelf_

_Is there someone in this whole wide world_

_For me to love?_

_For Thumbelina to love?"_

For a moment, she imagined some sort of Knight in Shining armor just her size and he sweeps her off her feet for a kiss.

"_And even though I'm small as this_

_It happens I have lips to kiss_

_A hand to hold_

_A heart that breaks in two or maybe three_

_Will someone ever notice me?"_

Her fantasy faded away, and she was sadly brought back to her horrible reality.

"_I am all alone_

_Always on my own_

_Is there someone in this whole wide world_

_For me to love?_

_For Thumbelina to love?"_

Ms. Fieldmouse entered the dressing room looking thrilled. "Thumbelina," she said, with a grin, "It's time!"

* * *

It didn't take very long for the fairies and Naveen to find Mr. Mole's house. They burst through the door but couldn't find any living creature around.

"Aralyne's got to be around here somewhere," said Naveen.

He and the fairies began calling out her name as they searched the home. "Aralyne!"

* * *

That damn rodent didn't even bother to give me any food while he locked me up, and I was slouched against the bars with my stomach rumbling, and a pounding headache. Not to mention, I seriously had to go to the bathroom. I suddenly heard several voices calling out my name.

"Aralyne!"

"Arlayne?"

With a gasp, I used the bars to haul myself to my feet and croaked out in a hoarse voice. "Over here!"

Around the corner came Naveen, relief washing over his face, and three fairies. Two of them I recognized instantly from reading and watching tons of Peter Pan stories (okay, I admit, I'm a sucker for Peter) but the other fairy I couldn't place.

"Aralyne, what happened?" Naveen demanded running to the cage and grasping the bars.

"The mole locked me up," I replied, then started calling him every foul name I could think of.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here," said the fairy I didn't know. He pulled out a sword and used it to break the lock. As it clattered to the ground, Terence opened the cage, and I ran out.

"Thanks," I said, "Now come on. We have to go save Thumbelina!"

I raced through one of the tunnels that was connected to the mole's house and the others followed me.

* * *

The wedding chapel was filled with all sorts of insects and underground creatures. A spider began playing the "Wedding March" as Thumbelina slowly walked down the aisle. About half way to the alter, she thought of her conversation with Aralyne.

"_You do belong somewhere, and it's not with him! You have a family, and we're going to find them!" Aralyne declared._

_"We are?" Thumbelina said her eyes widening, "But how? I mean, this place is _so big!_ Where would we start?"_

_"We'll find a way," Aralyne replied giving her an encouraging smile._

_Throwing her arms around her in a hug, Thumbelina cried, "Oh, thank you, Aralyne! Thank you!"_

Thumbelina gave a small smile at her friend's promise, but hearing the Reverend's voice made her shake her head, trying to push the thought aside. She continued on down the aisle. "Mr. Mole, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"_Somewhere down this road_

_I know someone's waiting._

_Years of dreams just can't be wrong!_

_Arms will open wide._

_I'll be safe and wanted_

_Fin'lly home where I belong."_

Tears began to pour down Thumbelina's face. _No, I'll never have a real family, _she thought as Mr. Mole replied, "I do." She finally arrived at the altar.

"And, Thumbelina, do you take this mole to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"_I am all alone_

_Always on my own_

_There's nobody in this whole wide world_

_For me to love"_

"Speak up," demanded the Reverend.

"I," she began, then swallowed, "I –"

The doors burst open and everyone swiveled in their direction.

* * *

"STOP THE WEDDING!" I cried standing in the doorway with Naveen and the fairies surrounding us. (By then I had learned the other fairy's name was Cornelius).

Thumbelina grinned at me before telling the Reverend. "I will not marry Mr. Mole. I don't love him!" she crowed triumphantly. She began running towards us, but then there was a loud cry and a crash before a toad dropped down from the ceiling and landing before my friend. Startled, Thumbelina took a step back.

"I marry her!" the toad cried out with a large grin and his arms spread out wide.

"No!" Thumbelina shouted throwing her bouquet on the ground, "I no marry you. I go with my friend!" She tried moving around him, but he grabbed her veil and pulled her back. "Go away!" she said kicking his leg. He cried out in pain and hopped around on one foot. Thumbelina ran towards us and into my open arms.

"After her!" I heard the mole shout.

"Come on!" I shouted taking Thumbelina's hand and dragging her through the tunnel with Naveen and the fairies behind us. I could also hear dozens of footsteps behind them.

Beetle jumped out from around a corner before us. "Ha, ha! Hiya, toots," he said grabbing Thumbelina's veil with one hand, and grabbing my dress with the other.

"I'm not your toots!" Thumbelina and I exclaimed simultaneously. She threw off the veil, and I kicked his twig-like leg. He released me, and we ran by. We entered this massive cavern with a stone bridge connecting the tunnel to another one.

"Don't you dare touch them again!" I heard Naveen cry then I heard Beetle cry out in pain.

Glancing back as we crossed the bridge, I saw Cornelius stop with his sword drawn. "You guys go on ahead," he exclaimed, "I'll keep them busy!"

"Cornelius, no!" Tinker Bell shouted going back for him, but Terence held her back.

The toad grabbed a torch from one of the creatures following us and swung it at Cornelius. I skidded to a halt to see the turnout of this brawl.

"Aralyne, what are you doing?" Thumbelina gasped.

"We have to go," Naveen added trying to push me forward, but I refused to move and Tink was grateful to not leave Cornelius behind. Even the other creatures stopped to see what would happen.

The toad missed his target and ended up spinning in a circle. Cornelius poked the toad's behind with his sword and the amphibian cried out in pain, facing his opponent.

Laughing and swinging his sword about, Cornelius said, "Come on, show me what you got." The toad smacked the fairy over the head, and Cornelius crumbled to the ground, dropping his sword. We all gasped. The toad started marching towards us, but Cornelius grabbed him by the ankle and the toad stumbled, falling off the bridge. Before Cornelius could release him, the toad grabbed him, and they both tumbled into the unknown.

"Cornelius, no!" Tinker Bell wailed with tears streaming down her face. Now with the bridge open, the other creatures continued to chase us. My companions and I raced through the new tunnel.

Soon, Thumbelina and I ran into a giant spider web, (which thankfully was uninhabited), and after pushing aside the sticky strands, we froze momentarily. Thumbelina was laughing as we stared at the sunlight pouring through a hole from the ceiling.

"The sun," Thumbelina cried, "I can see the sun!"

"Go!" Naveen said shoving us forward. My friends and I climbed up a giant pile of treasure towards the sunlight. We could still hear the other creatures were hot on our trail.

Thumbelina dislodged a gem and the treasure fell causing the creatures to run for their lives so as not to be buried by the avalanche.

We finally made it outside and stared at everything around us.

"Oh, the sun!" Thumbelina exclaimed spinning around with a laugh.

Tinker Bell was still in hysterics over Cornelius and it dawned on me. She had been in love with him. Terence was still holding her back so that she wouldn't go back down underground.

"Tink, stop it," he yelled, "Cornelius is gone, okay?"

The female fairy finally slumped down to the ground and quietly sat there. Her voice then came out in a quiet tune:

"_You will be my wings_

_You will be my only love_

_You will take me far beyond the stars"_

I could feel tears sting my eyes, and I glanced over at Thumbelina to see she was crying, too. "I didn't mean for anyone to die," Thumbelina whispered.

"It's not your fault," I told her giving her a hug.

Tinker Bell continued:

"_You will lift me high above_

_Everything we're dreaming of_

_Will soon be ours_

_Anything that we desire_

_Anything at all_

_Every day you'll take me higher"_

She suddenly stopped and broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

"_And I'll never let you fall"_

Cornelius shot out of the ground and sang that last line. Tink's head rose and she gaped at him. "You. It's you. Cornelius, you're alive!" She jumped to her feet right as Cornelius swooped down to her side, cupped her face, and kissed her on the lips.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

_(Songs in this chapter are "I Was Once Alone" from the movie "The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina", "Singing to the Song of Life" by Mandy Moore, and "Under a Violet Moon" by Blackmore's Night.)_

The fairies had taken my friends and me to the fairy village (after I had used the bathroom of course) where we got a warm welcome from the other fairies. Then, from out of tiny huts made of nutshells, came hundreds of little people the exact same size as Naveen, Thumbelina, and me! We gaped at the others in surprise, and I could see how excited Thumbelina was to not be the only small person in the whole world.

A man wearing a blue shirt and jeans and had blonde hair stepped forward and held his hand out for me to shake. "Hey, I'm Zak," he said.

"Hi, I'm Aralyne," I replied shaking his hand with a smile. He then moved on to Thumbelina who blushed and seemed to forget her name.

"I'm… I'm… um…"

"Thumbelina," I said trying to suppress a laugh.

"Yes," she agreed, "I'm Thumbelina."

"Well, Thumbelina, how would you like a tour of your new home?" said Zak flashing her a smile. She eagerly nodded her head and Zak took her hand before leading her away through the village of little people.

"Wow," I said glancing around at everyone my height, "I didn't know that there was a village of little people. And right beside the fairies, too!"

With a laugh, Queen Clarion replied, "Of course, my dear. Since fairies range in height, we thought it would be prudent to have the fairy village beside the village of little people."

Fairy Mary then said, "Vidia, go tell Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather that Aralyne has arrived." A fairy wearing purple and had long black hair jumped into the air and zoomed off so fast that I barely saw her leave.

"Come along, Miss Aralyne," said Bobble, a male fairy as he gently took my hand and lead me towards the giant fairies, "We heard your whole story and the Blue Fairy will be more than happy to return you and Naveen to your normal heights."

"Achidanza!" Naveen exclaimed as he walked by my side, with the fairies and village of little people following us.

"Yes, and it's an honor having you here," said Clank, another male fairy.

"An honor?" I said looking at him in surprise, "Why?"

"Shut it, Clank!" Bobble cried, "Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather said she's not supposed to know her fate!"

"Oh, sorry!" Clank said then flew off before he could let anything else slip.

"My fate?" I repeated, "What about my fate?"

Bobble gave a nervous laugh. "Nothing you need to worry about, Miss Aralyne."

Before I could inquire more about my fate, we were standing before Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather (who was our height, even though I knew they could change their heights if they so wished) and the Blue Fairy who was normal human height. I gazed up at the Blue Fairy in awe. She was beautiful and seemed to glow.

"Hello, dears," said Flora, "Welcome, Aralyne, and welcome back, Naveen."

"Hello," I said with a smile turning my attention to her.

"We know about your predicament, and we will gladly help you," said Fauna. "Blue, if you please."

The Blue Fairy gently tapped me on the head with her wand, and did the same with Naveen. We were surrounded by a flash of blue light, and when it disappeared, we were our original heights. I squealed and jumped in place – careful not to stomp on anyone, mind you – like a child, glad to be normal again.

"Achidanza!" Naveen exclaimed, "We're back to normal!" We hugged each other in joy and everyone cheered.

* * *

Mama Odie and the others had gone through the bayou, and had searched through parts of the forest, but still hadn't found Aralyne or Naveen.

"We're never going to find them. Why don't we just give up and go home?" said Kyo sounding bored as he sat down cross-legged and resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

Yuki smacked him upside the head and said, "Stupid cat. We can't just let them die out here. We have to find them."

"YOU DAMN RAT!" Kyo yelled, "ONE DAY I'M GONNA TAKE YOU DOWN!"

"Hush up," said Mama Odie hitting Kyo on the head with her wand, "And keep looking."

Kyo grumbled as he got back on his feet to continue searching.

"Aralyne!" Garret called out and others followed his example.

"Aralyne!" shouted out Eric.

"Naveen?" said Elinor.

"Naveen!" cried Odette.

At that moment, seven fairies stepped out from behind some trees and gazed at the search group curiously.

"Hi," said the fairy with fiery orange hair, "My name is Bloom, and these are my friends, Flora, Tecna, Musa, Stella, Layla, and Roxy. We call ourselves the Winx. Not to seem nosy, but are you looking for someone named Aralyne?"

"Yes," cried Momiji in his loud voice, "Have you seen her? And our friend Naveen?"

"Well, no, we haven't met them, yet," said Flora.

"What do you mean, 'yet'?" inquired Fiona eyeing the fairies suspiciously.

"You see," said Musa, "The other day, we heard a tiny human named Naveen had arrived in our village asking for help to find this Aralyne."

Tecna added, "A couple of our best tiny fairies went with him to help search for her, and are meant to return them to our village."

"And have they returned to your village?" Eric demanded, seeming a little hysterical.

Stella shook her head, and replied, "We don't know. We've been out here, keeping an eye out in case we run into them. The head fairies said this Aralyne is supposed to be important or something, so it was imperative that she be found."

"We can take you to our village now," said Layla, "to see what the news is."

"Yes, please," said Nita.

"It's not far," said Roxy with a smile as she waved for the search party to follow her. The fairies then led them to their village.

* * *

"Aralyne!" I heard someone call my name. Pulling away from Naveen, I turned to see Eric running towards me. He lifted me up into his arms and kissed me passionately before everyone. I was actually a bit stunned by this, but the kiss numbed my brain a little.

"Eric," I gasped once I had pulled away for some air. "You found me!" I then looked around him to see the rest of my friends. They all came toward us to give me a hug and clap Naveen on the back. Garret stood apart from the group with a small smile upon his face. Separating myself from the others, I walked up to his side and gently took hold of us hand. "It's good to see you again, Garret."

He laughed. "I wish I could say the same, but it's good to hear your voice." Garret's hand left mine, and he felt up my arm, to my shoulder, up my neck, and finally resting on my cheek. He leaned forward and gave me a peck, at the corner of my mouth.

"Oh," I said blushing placing a hand over my lips. I shot a glance over at Eric who had been watching us, and his eyes were narrowed in what I could only tell was jealousy.

"Well, now that Aralyne and Naveen have been reunited with their friends," said Merryweather, "Why don't we throw a party to celebrate?"

My friends exchanged glances before agreeing with enthusiasm, but Eric began to protest.

"No, we really must get back to Nesidy," he said.

"Oh, come on," said Momiji tugging on Eric's shirt sleeve, "It'll be fun! Stay with us!"

"Please, Eric?" I added, "One little party wouldn't hurt, will it? I promise that we'll go as soon as it's over."

I saw something flash in his eyes, but he finally nodded. "Fine. As soon as it's over, we'll leave."

The fairies cheered, and the Winx used their magic to create amazing lights, and Musa started to play some music. Everyone started dancing, and the Blue Fairy conjured up food and drinks for everyone. After a while, Musa had magically produced a microphone and spoke into it.

"Okay, everyone, it's time for some live performances. The first one up is a new addition to the village of little people. Give a warm welcome to Thumbelina!"

I cheered as my tiny friend was placed upon a stage for everyone to see. She waved at me then motioned to Zak with a large smile on her face. She then started singing:

"_I was once alone_

_Out there on my own_

_Now there's finally someone in my world_

_For me to love"_

Thumbelina grinned over at Zak who winked at her and caused her to blush.

"_Finally skies are blue_

_Finally waking through_

_Finally happily I'm glad to see_

_He looks at me_

_And love is something I love"_

Zak jumped onto the stage grabbed her hand and twirled her around.

"_Cause even though_

_I'm small as this_

_It happens I have lips to kiss_

_A hand to hold_

_A heart that breaks in two or maybe three_

_And someone's finally noticed me_

_Now I'm not alone_

_No, not on my own_

_Finally, happily, I take my place_

_With him I love_

_And love is something I love"_

When she had finished, Zak cupped her face and kissed her. _Whoa! Déjà vu,_ I thought glancing back at Eric who was standing right beside me. Everyone cheered and the couple left the stage. The next ones to perform were three tiny fairies: Crysta, Silvermist, and Iridessa.

"Ready girls?" cried out Silvermist looking at her two companions. The others nodded, and they started a song that was a lot livelier than Thumbelina's.

"_Livin'_

_The song of life_

_There's a rhythm_

_There's a rhythm_

_Oh, yeah_

_There's a rhythm_

_Oh, yeah_

_Livin' to the song of life_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Oh, yeah_

_There's a rhythm of this world_

_In every nation_

_A never-ending song_

_Of celebration_

_Celebration_

_A song that dances on the wind_

_Singing through the trees_

_It's opened up my world and sky_

_Made them new for me"_

Everyone started dancing, some of the fairies doing a conga line in the air.

"_Listen to the song of life_

_Movin' to the heartbeat_

_Singin' to the sun and sky_

_I'm flyin'_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Livin' every moment_

_Singin' to the day and night_

_I'm tryin'_

_Hard to believe_

_It's not just a dream_

_Singin' the song_

_Livin' the song of life_

_Oh, yeah_

_Ohh_

_Sailin' on the summer night_

_Flying high_

_High_

_Flying_

_Dancing to the beating of our hearts_

_In paradise_

_Paradise_

_I hear the song of the moon and stars_

_I hear the children sing_

_It's a celebration of every heart_

_Of every living thing"_

Laughing, I took hold of Momiji's hands and we danced around in a circle.

"_Singin' to the song of life_

_Movin' to the heartbeat_

_Singin' to the sun and sky_

_I'm flyin'_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Livin' every moment_

_Singin' to the day and night_

_I'm flying_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Movin' to the heartbeat_

_Singin' to the sun and sky_

_I'm flyin'_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Livin' every moment_

_Singin' to the day and night_

_I'm trying_

_Hard to believe_

_It's not just a dream_

_Singin' the song_

_Livin' the song of life_

_Life_

_The song of life_

_Livin' the song of life_

_Livin' the song of life"_

Elinor was dancing with her triplets, who were having a giggle fit.

"_I hear the song of the moon and stars_

_I hear the children sing_

_It's a celebration of every heart_

_Of every living thing_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Movin' to the heartbeat_

_The heart beat_

_Singin' to the sun and sky_

_Oh, oh, oh, I'm flyin'_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Livin' every moment_

_Singin' to the day and night_

_Ohhh_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Yeah_

_Singin' to the sun and sky_

_Oh, oh, oh, I'm flyin'_

_Singin' to the song of life_

_Singin' to the sun and sky_

_Singin' to the day and night_

_I'm trying_

_Hard to believe it's not just a dream_

_Singin' the song_

_Livin' the song of life"_

Once the fairies had finished singing, Garret shouted out, "I want to hear Aralyne sing!" I blushed as everyone in the crowd agreed with him.

"No," I said shaking my head and burying my face in my hands.

"Come on, Aralyne!" Shigure encouraged, "We all want to hear you sing."

Kuzco shoved me up onto the stage, and Musa handed me the microphone. "Okay, fine," I consented to the joy of the entire crowd. "I'm going to sing _Under a Violet Moon_."

"_Dancing to the feel of the drum_

_Leave this world behind_

_We'll have a drink and toast to ourselves_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Tudor Rose with her hair in curls_

_Will make you turn and stare_

_Try to steal a kiss at the bridge_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Cheers to the Knights and days of old_

_the beggars and the thieves_

_living in an enchanted wood_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Fortuneteller what do you see_

_Future in a card_

_Share your secrets, tell them to me_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon"_

The dancing continued. Wow, fairies must really like to have fun! I could see Garret staring in my direction with a small smile on his face, and I couldn't help but smile, too. He was such a sweet guy when he wasn't pissed off.

"_Close your eyes and lose yourself_

_In a medieval mood_

_Taste the treasures and sing the tunes_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Tis my delight on a shiny night_

_The season of the year_

_To keep the lanterns burning bright_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon"_

Kenai and Nita were dancing together in an awkward lumber, and even Fiona was doing her own jig along with Kuzco. Kyo had a scowl on his face, and I could tell he was trying not to smile. There was no way he'd show that he was actually enjoying himself.

"_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet Moon_

_Raise your hats and your glasses too_

_We will dance the whole night through_

_We're going back to a time we knew_

_Under a Violet, under a Violet_

_Under a Violet Moon"_

Once I had finished, I took a bow, but when I had straightened back up, my grin slid right off my face. Standing at the back of the fairy crowd was Jafar, Hexxus, Rasputin, Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. And they were staring directly at me with malicious smiles.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

_(Song in this chapter is "Men in Tights" from the movie "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". My favorite Robin Hood movie, so don't kill me, sister, for adding it with your favorite Robin Hood.)_

At the moment, Hexxus was in his smoke form, but then he turned into that nasty black sludge, and crept through the crowd heading directly for the stage. Icy, Darcy, and Stormy began using magic to attack the fairies, and I suddenly felt sick. Everyone kept getting hurt because of me! The fairies began to fight back, and I jumped off the stage, heading straight for my friends. The first one to my side was Naveen, and he grabbed my arm.

"Come on," he said pulling me through the crowd, "We have to get you out of here!" We hadn't gotten far when Naveen tripped and fell, bringing me crashing to the ground beside him. I then felt something wrap around my ankles, and creep up my legs. Looking back, I saw it was Hexxus. He leered at me and I screamed as his sludge form moved up my body, pinning my arms to my side. He started inching his way up to my face. Naveen tried pulling the villain off of me, but his hands slipped right through the sludge.

This is it! I was going to be taken by pollution! I knew pollution was dangerous, but this was just ridiculous! A flash of golden light then struck Hexxus and he cried out in pain releasing me. I quickly kicked off his remains, and leapt to my feet, running as far away from him as possible. All around me, I could see the fairies fighting the witches, and tiny green demons that Rasputin had summoned using his reliquary. Even my friends were fighting, including Elinor's triplets. As I tried avoiding the fights, I saw Jafar use his staff to send out lightning and strike people to clear a path straight for me. He shot out a lightning bolt and it struck me in the center of the chest. I froze as my heart began to palpitate in my chest, and I blacked out for a moment. A red light surrounded me and dragged me towards Jafar. I screamed out for help, but I couldn't tell if anyone was coming to my rescue. Now standing before Jafar with the light holding me still, he held his cobra staff in front of my face. As soon as I saw its red eyes glowing, I turned my head so as not to fall under its spell.

"Smart girl," he said with a sneer, but grabbed my face and turned my head back towards the cobra. Its eyes glowed an eerie red and began to swirl around. "Now, you will be a good little girl, and come with me."

My mind felt a little fuzzy, and I could hear myself repeat his words, "I will be a good little girl, and go with you." The light around me disappeared, and I was now free, but I couldn't run. Even though my mind was screaming to get away, my legs wouldn't comply. He began walking away from the battle towards the woods, and I followed him against my will. I wanted to scream, call for help, but my mouth wouldn't open. I was terrified and wanted to cry, but I couldn't do that either. I was being led towards my doom….

* * *

Eric had lost sight of Aralyne when the fairies were attacked. After fighting his way through the crowd, he came upon Fiona who had just taken down several of Rasputin's demons. "Fiona," he said somewhat desperately, "Where's Aralyne?"

"I don't know," she admitted, I saw her running from Hexxus, before I was attacked by these demons."

"We saw what happened," said a male fairy named Pips. He and a female named Fawn flew right up to Eric.

"Jafar has her," Fawn added, "He used his staff on her and took her into the woods."

With an angry growl, Eric raced through the battle and into the woods with Fiona, Fawn, and Pips following him. They soon caught up to Jafar and Aralyne.

* * *

We had gone a pretty good distance and I was sure no one was going to come to my rescue this time, when Jafar was suddenly knocked to the ground. Fiona stood above him with hands on hips looking totally badass. When Jafar had dropped his staff, I felt the spell break and shook my head to try and clear my mind.

"Aralyne," said Eric running to my side and taking me into his arms, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I replied, glancing back at Jafar. He pushed himself off the ground and grabbed his staff once again.

"Come on," said Fawn motioning for me to follow her and Pips. I pulled away from Eric and started going with them when I heard a fight break out behind me. I turned to see Jafar was back on his feet and was brawling with both Eric and Fiona. My friends, I'm sad to say, were losing this battle.

"I can't leave them," I said to the fairies and started looking around for some sort of weapon. I found a thick tree branch lying on the ground and picked it up. Running straight to Jafar, I used the branch like a baseball bat and it collided with his ribcage with a satisfying _crack!_ At that moment, I silently thanked my dad for teaching me softball as a child.

"Why you little brat," Jafar snarled rounding on me. He grabbed the branch and yanked it out of my grasp before shoving me to the ground. He pointed his staff directly at me and I pulled back in fear. Before he could do anything however, an arrow was shot out of nowhere and knocked the staff out of his hand. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw something swoop down from the trees on a vine heading straight for me. A fox wearing green clothing scooped me up from the ground and we soared up into the sky. The fox then deposited me on a tree branch well out of harm's way.

"Are you all right there, young lady?" the fox asked as I gaped at him before nodding. He took his feathered cap off and bowed to me. "Robin Hood at your service!"

"Hey, Rob, a little help down here!" a voice shouted, and I looked down to see other animals fighting alongside my friends against Jafar. The one that had spoken was a giant brown bear, and beside him was a male green ogre.

"Coming, Little John," said Robin using the vine to swing down to the battle.

_No way! Robin Hood and his merry men?!_ My sister would _flip_ if she knew I had just met them! They were her absolute favorite! I watched the fight from my safe spot, and eventually Eric had gotten ahold of Jafar's staff and broke it in half. Now defenseless, Jafar tried running, but the male ogre grabbed him, and broke his neck with a sickening _snap!_ When the fight was over, I climbed back down the tree and ran to the group right as a female fox ran out from behind the trees wearing a dress.

"Oh, well done, Robin!" she cried out giving him a hug.

"Marian, my love, it was nothing," he said.

"Thank you," I said to the band of animals as Eric wrapped a protective arm around me, "for saving me."

"So," said Fiona eyeing the male ogre from head to toe, "Who are you?"

Most of the animals, except Robin, Little John, Maid Marian, and the ogre exchanged wide grins before breaking out into a song and dance:

"_We're men, we're men in tights._

_We roam around the forest looking for fights._

_We're men, we're men in tights._

_We rob from the rich and give to the poor, that's right!_

_We may look like sissies, but watch what you say or else we'll put out your lights!_

_We're men, we're men in tights,_

_Always on guard defending the people's rights."_

They started doing the can-can. Robin, Maid Marian, Fawn, Pips and I started laughing, while the male ogre and Little John looked embarrassed, and Eric and Fiona gave the dancers strange looks.

"_We're men, MANLY men, we're men in tights. Yes!_

_We roam around the forest looking for fights._

_We're men, we're men in tights._

_We rob from the rich and give to the poor, that's right!_

_We may look like pansies, but don't get us wrong or else we'll put out your lights._

_We're men, we're men in tights_

_TIGHT tights,_

_Always on guard defending the people's rights._

_When you're in a fix just call for the men in tights!_

_We're butch."_

"Yes," said Robin shaking his head with a grin on his face, "I'm Robin Hood, and those are my merry men. My right hand man, Little John," he motioned to the brown bear, then the ogre, "and our newest recruit, Shrek."

"And I'm starting to regret it," Shrek muttered.

"Man, that was annoying!" Fiona said in annoyance, "Don't ever do that again!"

Robin then looked her up and down before smiling. "Say, Miss…?"

"Fiona," Fiona said.

"Miss Fiona, how would you like to join my group? We could use a fighter like you," Robin suggested.

She crossed her arms and looked over at Shrek before answering. "Fine, but _no_ singing!"

"Agreed," said Little John with a nod, "And I will personally see to it."

"Well, it's been fun meeting you," said Robin with another bow. He, his merry men, Maid Marian, and Fiona left us.

"Come on," said Pips, with a wave of his arm, "We'd better get back to the village."

By the time we had returned to the fairy village, Icy, Darcy, and Story were dead, and we saw the fairies trap Hexxus inside a tree. Seeing that he was alone, Rasputin and his demons retreated. I moved well out of his way, but as he passed me, I heard him hiss, "We'll get you sooner or later, little girl."

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather came up to us looking flustered.

"Goodness," said Flora fanning herself, "Are you all right child?"

"You're not hurt, are you, dear?" inquired Fauna.

"I'm fine," I said, "Thank you for protecting me."

"Not very well," muttered Merryweather, "I think it'd be best if you returned to Nesidy. You'd be safer over there."

"Oh," I said feeling my spirits sink. It felt as if they had blamed me for the trouble that had just happened. Well, I guess it was my fault since the villains were after me. They were just the first ones to even imply it. "Yes, all right."

Mama Odie, Elinor, Harris, Hamish, Hubert, Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, Momiji, Odette, Kuzco, Nita, Kenai, Naveen, Garret, and Eric came to my side. They were all ready to escort me back to Nesidy. After quickly explaining what had happened to Fiona, and saying our farewells to the fairies, we left the fairy village. Mama Odie left us and went back home, but the rest of us headed for the village where we had met Kida and the rest. We had to tell them everything had gone well, after all. We had travelled for several hours with, thankfully, no sudden attacks from villains and finally arrived at the village. We told them everything that had happened and the villagers agreed that I return to Nesidy and stay there for my safety.

It was at this point that our group had broken up. Kuzco, Nita, and Kenai were natives to this village and were happy to finally be home. Naveen had decided to stay behind with Kida, and I was actually a little sad to see them all go. Garret bid me farewell before disappearing into the woods once more, and I wanted to cry. I had promised him I would clear his name over in Nesidy, and I intended to keep my promise.

As Elinor, the triplets, Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, Momiji, Odette, Eric and I headed back towards Nesidy, Eric suddenly stopped and took hold of my hand, keeping me back. The others came to a halt and turned to look at us curiously.

Eric waved them on and said, "Go, we'll catch up." They nodded and left. Once we were all alone, he said, "Aralyne, do you trust me?"

"What?" I said with a confused grin, "Eric, of course I do. Why would you ask a silly question like that?"

He suddenly grinned at me, but it wasn't caring, or friendly in any way. It seemed… sinister….

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," he said twisting my arm behind my back. I gasped from the pain, but I didn't do anything to try to defend myself. I was so confused! What was going on?!

"Eric," I said, "You're hurting me! Let me go!" From the sack he carried, he pulled out a piece of rope and tied my hands behind my back. "Eric!" He suddenly stuffed a rag in my mouth to keep me from screaming. Eric lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder as if I were a sack of potatoes and began walking through the woods.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

_(Song in this chapter is "Writing on the Wall" by Blackmore's Night. Wanted to try something new here so that it's like a movie action shot during the song. I'll be switching points of view during the song, so I hope I don't confuse anyone here.)_

Garret really hadn't gone far from the others when he heard Aralyne cry out, "Eric! You're hurting me! Let me go! Eric!" Realizing that Aralyne must be in some sort of trouble, he ran to the village he had been banished from to get some help. He would risk his own life to save his one and only friend.

* * *

Dumbo was up in the air practicing his flying with Timothy Q. Mouse (the one from _Dumbo_, of course) when his ears perked up. He heard a female cry for help out in the woods. And he knew that voice, too. He heard it speak to Grandpa on the day she arrived and he heard that voice sing a couple of times. _Aralyne's in trouble!_ His blue eyes widened, and he gestured to Timothy with his trunk.

"What is it, Dumbo?" asked the mouse. The baby elephant pointed to his ears then gestured as best as he could what he had heard. "Come on, Dumbo, speak up! What's got you so riled up?" How he wished he could talk! Then as he was passing by some clouds, he had an idea and headed straight for them. He swirled around in the clouds performing all sorts of tricks and when he finally finished he pulled away from the clouds so that Timothy could get a good look at them. "Say, that's a neat trick," said the mouse, "It kind of looks like Aralyne." Dumbo nodded his head. "What about her, boy? Do you miss her?" Dumbo shook his head. "Then what? Is she in trouble?" Dumbo nodded again then pointed towards the woods. "She's in trouble in the woods? Why didn't you just say so?" The baby elephant smacked his head with the trunk. _I just did!_ "Come on, Dumbo. We have to go tell someone about this!"

* * *

Eric had snuck around the village where we had left Naveen, and ended up behind a giant golden temple. After finding a back door, he entered and carried me through the temple until he finally deposited me on the floor before tying up my feet so that I wouldn't run away.

"Well done, Eric," said Tzekel-Kan clapping as he and Chel stepped out of the shadows. I shuddered at the sight of him and tried scooting away from him. "Now, I believe it's time to present her to the Evil One." I choked on a gasp and shook my head, giving Eric a pleading look. _Why would he do this to me?! I trusted him! We were a couple, and I cared about him! And now he's sending me to the Evil One?!_

"Aw," said Chel mockingly seeing my expression, "Poor girl. Did you really think Eric cared about you?" She leaned in towards me and fingered the necklace Eric had given me. "I've got a little surprise for you, sister, he never did. He's always been _mine!"_ Chel yanked the necklace from my neck and held it before my face, the words _I love you _glinting in my eyes. I silently began to cry as the realization struck me. _I had just been betrayed by someone I truly trusted!_ I could feel myself go numb as Chel began to sing:

"_Is it powers of intuition?_

_Is it insecurity?_

_You know I can read your mind and_

_You have been deceiving me…"_

(Dumbo soared down into Nesidy and found Tulio and Flynn Rider having a conversation with Danny Phantom. Upon landing, Timothy quickly explained that Aralyne was in trouble out in the woods. The three men left the animals behind and ran out of the town and into the forest.)

"_Which face wears the masque this evening?_

_When will your true colours show?_

_Will they be as black as shadows_

_Hiding 'neath the rainbow…"_

(Tulio, Flynn, and Danny hadn't gotten far in the woods when they ran into Garret.  
"What are you doing here, traitor?" Flynn growled pulling out a sword.  
"Please," Garret gasped, "Aralyne's in trouble! You've got to save her!"  
"Where is she?" Tulio demanded.  
"I heard Eric take her towards the other village! Go!"  
The three heroes ran off in the direction he indicated. Garret followed as quickly as he could without his sight.)

"_Had my heart on a silver chain_

_With the words engraved_

'_I loved you'…_

_Like a swan that was lost at sea_

_I lost all of me_

_To you…_

_Now I see the writing on the wall…"_

(The heroes burst into the village startling everyone. "Where's Aralyne?" they all demanded at once, ready for a fight.  
"What are you talking about?" said Naveen, "She went back to Nesidy."  
"No, she didn't," said Garret finally arriving, "Eric just kidnapped her. Now where are they?"  
"I used to see Eric go into Tzekel-Kan's temple," said Kida pointing to the building, "You may want to try there." The heroes ran off towards the temple.)

"_Paranoia or perception?_

_Put your faith in a liar's hands_

_Wanting to believe his words_

_But never knowing where he stands…"_

Eric leered over me and whispered, "There's something I must tell you. _I'm_ the one that killed that pathetic mouse, Jonathan Brisby, and blamed it on that blind hermit." My eyes widened at the news. Now that I knew the truth, I wouldn't be able to tell anyone to clear Garret's name!

"_Had my heart on a silver chain_

_With the words engraved_

'_I loved you'…_

_Like a swan that was lost at sea_

_I lost all of me_

_To you…_

_Now I see the writing on the wall…"_

I stared at the three villains. Chel was dancing around Eric, and Tzekel-Kan was off to the side creating some sort of potion. My mind still had a hard time processing what had just happened. This had to be a nightmare! A terrible nightmare!

"_There's too many misconceptions_

_In this game of consequence_

_When you're finding that your hero_

_Is just who you're up against…"_

(Flynn, Danny, and Tulio burst into the temple and heard Chel singing. They followed her voice through the building until they eventually found the villains holding Aralyne captive.)

"_Had my heart on a silver chain_

_With the words engraved_

'_I loved you'…_

_Like a swan that was lost at sea_

_I lost all of me_

_To you…_

_Now I see the writing on the wall…"_

Tzekel-Kan finished the potion and stalked right up to me with a bowl in his hand full of the glowing green liquid. He tore the gag out of my mouth, and I pressed my lips shut to keep him from feeding me the potion. The villain squeezed my cheeks, and I felt my mouth open involuntarily. He lifted the bowl up to my lips and poured the liquid into my mouth.

Tzekel-Kan was suddenly knocked backwards dropping the bowl. I quickly spat out the potion but not before a few drops had trickled down my throat. Chel, Eric, and I turned to see Flynn, Tulio, and Danny standing at the entrance of the room. Danny had shot Tzekel-Kan with one of his ghost rays and he was now beating the villain. Chel and Eric ran to Tzekel-Kan's rescue.

"Get Aralyne and get out of here!" Danny shouted to the others.

Tulio ran up to me and cut my bindings with his knife. "Are you okay?" After he had pulled the ropes off of me, I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. I could feel him stiffen in surprise but he eventually embraced me.

"Come on!" Flynn shouted, "We've got to get out of here!" Tulio lifted me up off the ground and carried me off. I could feel him running, but kept my face buried in his shoulder. He suddenly skidded to a halt.

"Drop the girl," I heard Chel snarl. She must have blocked our path.

"Not on your life," said Flynn. I heard her scream and a thud, then I felt Tulio continue running. After a while I felt cool air brush my arms and legs and heard a multitude of voices surrounding me.

"What's going on?"

"What happened?"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"We need to get her out of here," Tulio said, then I heard a loud _CRASH!_

* * *

Eric had pulled Danny off of Tzekel-Kan. With the Phantom distracted and fighting Eric, the villain looked around to see Chel unconscious and that Aralyne was missing. The other heroes had taken off with her! With a snarl of rage, his eyes glowed an eerie green, and he flew backwards slamming into a stone slab covered in symbols. The same symbols appeared on his body glowing that same eerie green as his eyes. With an evil laugh, the slab shifted around him, and consumed him. In his place stood a giant stone jaguar with glowing green eyes.

* * *

My head shot up at the crashing sound and I saw a massive stone jaguar break through the roof of Tzekel-Kan's temple. I stared at it in absolute horror, then I heard Tulio and Flynn scream like little girls. The shrill sound of their voices made me cringe. The jaguar jumped off the temple and ran through the village, sending everyone scattering. Some of the villagers threw spears at it, but the weapons bounced off the jaguar's stone head not even leaving a scratch. It lifted up one man with its teeth and tossed him up into the air before crushing him. The stone feline then began heading our way.

I whimpered in fear and felt Tulio's hold on me tighten. He then set me down on my feet and took hold of my hand. "Come on!" he shouted out dragging me along with Flynn right beside us. The jaguar leapt through the air and landed before us. Without stopping, we swerved around its feet and ran in a different direction. It chased us up a temple, and I could feel my lungs burning while I tried to keep up with my heroes. The jaguar stepped onto the temple, and the whole building crumbled beneath our feet sending us sliding backwards. With his sword, Flynn stabbed the jaguar in the eye and the eye cracked like glass. The jaguar roared in pain and swiped at us. Tulio's hand slipped from mine, and I flew off to the side landing in a heap. The boys soared in a different direction and eventually skidded to a halt at the edge of the temple. The jaguar leered down at me, and I scooted backwards calling out for help.

"Hey, over here, you big Tzekel-Kan cat creep!" Tulio shouted, and I turned to see him and Flynn throwing rocks at the jaguar. The jaguar faced them instead. I scrambled to my feet and ran away from the danger, ducking behind a portion of the shattered temple. "Dammit," Tulio muttered, "Where's that Phantom kid to take Aralyne to safety?" The jaguar chased after the men, and they ran off. Flynn and Tulio jumped off the temple's edge and the stone monster followed them.

Fearful for their lives, I ran to the edge of the building, and peered down to see that the jaguar was still chasing them. Without thinking, I jumped over the edge as well and went after them. I had to make sure they were going to be all right! They eventually made it to a stone area, but when the jaguar stepped onto the stone, cracks appeared on the ground issuing hot steam, and I could see lava flowing beneath them. Sliding to a halt, I gasped and stared at the horrific scene. The jaguar had pulled their little island into the lava but it slipped and fell into the molten pool instead.

"Move, move!" Tulio shouted pulling Flynn towards the cat. They jumped onto its head and used its body like a bridge to get away from the lava. They jumped off its tail and landed on a ledge well away from the sea of fire.

"LOOK OUT!" I screeched when the jaguar had burst forth from the pool unharmed. Flynn and Tulio swiveled around onto their behinds and stared at it wide-eyed, backing up. They jumped to their feet and ran off. Using the ledges, I ran after them as they were being chased by the cat. We arrived inside the jungle outside of another temple, but it looked like this one was meant for sacrifices. Tulio and Flynn were trapped at the edge of the temple and beneath them was a whirlpool of water.

The stone jaguar then transformed back into Tzekel-Kan. "Tell me where the girl is," said the villain, "and I'll let you live." He apparently didn't know that I was standing right behind him. Tulio saw me and motioned with his head for me to hide. Panting, I shook my head. He gave me this look like he wanted to strangle me.

"L-Leave them alone!" I shouted out, tears still pouring down my face. They all turned their attention towards me.

"Ah, there you are, little girl," Tzekel-Kan sneered at me.

A funny look crossed Tulio's face and he rounded on Flynn. "Y- You let Aralyne wander around alone?" he demanded grabbing Flynn's shirt and bringing him closer to his face. This grabbed Tzekel-Kan's attention and we watched this little scene. _What was he doing?_ "How could you?" He cleared his throat and nodded in our direction. "How dare you!" he shouted throwing Flynn aside.

Flynn regained his balance and retaliated talking to Tzekel-Kan, "Hey, _he_ was the one watching her!"

"What?" said the villain clearly as confused as I was as to what was going on.

"Oh, oh, oh," said Tulio, "When I had lost hold of her, I expected _you_ to make sure she was safe! But apparently, Aralyne's life isn't very important to you, is it?!"

"That's not true!" said Flynn outraged.

"No? Who are you kidding?" demanded Tulio, "You left her to die!"

"_You're_ the one that decided to let her go!" Flynn shouted.

"I – Ooh, low blow," said Tulio a frown forming on his face. He and Flynn continued their argument walking past Tzekel-Kan. "Listen, buddy, Aralyne wouldn't be here sacrificing herself for us, if you had just made sure she was safe!" He smacked Flynn upside the head. Tzekel-Kan turned to follow their quarrel.

"Well, now's your chance to save her," said Flynn motioning to me, "She's standing right there! Why don't you just take her and go?!" He smacked Tulio upside the head.

"Why don't _you_ take her and go?!" shouted Tulio pressing his face up against Flynn's.

"No, _you_ take her!" Flynn yelled pushing Tulio backwards.

"That's… fine with me, pal!" said Tulio grabbing Flynn's shirt and shoving him backwards.

"Fine with me too!" agreed Flynn slapping Tulio across the face.

I cringed at the slap, but Tzekel-Kan seemed to be enjoying the fight.

"Fine!" said Tulio slapping Flynn.

"Okay!" Flynn said punching Tulio. Tzekel-Kan chuckled evilly.

"All right!" they shouted simultaneously punching Tzekel-Kan. The villain flew backwards sliding towards the temple.

"Tie him up," said Flynn grabbing a vine. Tulio did the same thing, and they ran towards Tzekel-Kan. Before they could reach him, however, the villain transformed back into the stone jaguar. They skidded to a halt.

"Jump!" Tulio yelled and they leapt over the sides of the temple's sacrificial walkway right as the jaguar lunged at them. As soon as the jaguar landed, the walkway collapsed, taking the monster with it into the swirling whirlpool. I screamed running to the edge of cliff. _Flynn and Tulio! No, they can't be dead!_

Leaning over the side, I saw them dangling from the vines they were still holding. Tulio was laughing. "That was good, huh?" he said. Flynn climbed up the vine and pulled himself over the edge.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I helped Tulio up onto solid ground.

"We're fine," said Flynn, "Dammit, Tulio, you're absolutely crazy!"

I wrapped my arms around Tulio's neck once more and buried my face into his shoulder. "Thank you," I muttered, fresh tears falling, "Thank you so much!"

_(Haha! So much for this action-packed scene! Was so excited about this one! Hope you guys enjoyed!)_


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

When we had returned to the village, I saw some of the villagers carrying Chel's and Eric's dead bodies, and I seriously didn't want to know what had happened here. I was still shaking from the jaguar experience. The others were waiting for us and at the front of the group stood Danny looking ready for another fight, and Garret looking worried. Breaking free from Tulio's arms, I ran to Danny.

"Thank you, Danny," I said giving him a hug.

"I knew that guy was trouble," he said embracing me. Pulling away from him, I gave him a small smile before moving on to my hermit friend.

"Garret," I said wrapping my arms around him so that he knew it was me.

"Aralyne," he said hugging me, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

I told him and everyone listened to what happened when Eric bound and gagged me before taking me to Tzekel-Kan's temple. I even told them about the villain trying to get me to drink some sort of potion. Once I had finished my tale, King Kashekim Nedakh told the four men to take me back to Nesidy right away and to keep me safe. For the second time that day, I left the village, with Danny, Flynn, Tulio, and Garret surrounding me. As we walked, it barely registered that the others weren't being hostile towards Garret and I felt a small twinge of joy from that. We finally arrived in Nesidy, and Danny flew off to get Grandpa.

Word must have spread very quickly about my return because I was soon surrounded by a huge crowd just like the day I had arrived in Nesidy. Garret stayed close beside me with his head lowered in hopes of not being discovered, and it seemed to work since no one had confronted him.

Grandpa finally arrived and asked me, "Aralyne, what happened?" I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. "She seems to be in shock," said Grandpa, then turned to my heroes, "Tell me, what went on?"

Flynn, Tulio, and Danny told them their sides of the story, while Garret remained silent. When the story was finished, Grandpa finally zeroed in on Garret and frowned at him.

"Garret," said Grandpa with a slight growl to his tone and my friend's head lifted turning towards Grandpa's voice, "You have been banished for the murder of Jonathan Brisby." Everyone in the crowd hissed and muttered curses under their breaths. "If you can recall, I said if you were to return, it would be instant death."

"No!" I suddenly shouted, startling myself and everyone around me. "Garret wasn't the one that had killed Jonathan Brisby. It was Eric."

"And your proof?" Grandpa asked turning to me, but keeping an eye on Garret.

"Eric told me," I explained, "He killed Jonathan Brisby and blamed it on Garret. And if you still believe he's an awful person, you can ask others that have gotten to know him." I quickly looked around and pointed to the ones who were animals with me. "Elinor, her triplets, Odette, Yuki, Shigure, Kyo, and Momiji."

"Yeah, but there were like ten of us and only one of him," Kyo pointed out, "If he tried anything he would have been taken down." Fuming, I stalked right up to him and slapped him across the face.

"I will defend him until I stop breathing!" I said in a tone so dangerous that the crowd actually backed up a bit. The anger I was feeling was at its boiling point, and I had an urge to hurt the lot of them. Kyo just stared down at me dumbstruck.

"Aralyne, calm down," said Danny placing a hand on my shoulder, "I believe you."

"Do you really, or is it some trick?" I demanded rounding on him. Why was I angry with Danny? That didn't feel right. Grandpa was giving me a cautious look.

"I really do believe you, Aralyne," Danny said not backing down, "He's the one that told me, Flynn, and Tulio where you were. If he had wanted you harmed, he wouldn't have told us." I could see the logic in what he had said, but for some reason, I still felt furious towards him, and everyone, including Garret for being at the wrong place at the wrong time during the murder.

"Danny has an excellent point," said Grandpa, then asked Garret, "You didn't commit the murder did you?"

Garret shook his head and replied, "No, sir. I did not."

With a sigh, Grandpa said, "Garret, please accept an old man's apologies for wrongly accusing you of a crime you did not commit. Your name has been cleared of all accusations and you are free to return to Nesidy if you so wish."

"Thank you," said Garret his face breaking out into a smile.

"You couldn't have done that in the first place before convicting him?" I growled out between clenched teeth. Grandpa gave me another funny look and everyone gasped at my disrespect. I was even surprised at what had just come out of my mouth.

"Aralyne," Grandpa said calmly, "Tulio mentioned Tzekel-Kan trying to force you into drinking some sort of potion. Did you happen to consume any of it? Even a drop or two?" I just glared at him and everyone in the crowd. Apparently that answered his question because he said, "Sandy, put her to sleep." A short pudgy man made entirely of gold sand floated toward me on a golden cloud. The sandman. Before I could protest, he formed a ball out of some of his sand and struck me in the face with it. I could feel my eyelids drooping and everything blacked out….

* * *

Aralyne crumpled and Tulio suddenly caught her before she hit the ground. "Grandpa, what was that for?" he asked lifting her up into his arms. He glanced down at the sleeping woman in his arms and felt a warm sensation creep over him. He's never felt this before and tried to ignore it as he returned his attention to the village leader.

"That potion that Tzekel-Kan had tried to force-feed her," said Grandpa grimly, "Was to turn her to the Evil One's side."

"Meaning?" asked Flynn feeling lost.

"It would have turned her evil and willing to do anything the Evil One says," Grandpa explained, "But it doesn't look like she consumed much, but I could see it. All of the anger and annoyance she felt was amplified and that's why she was currently acting the way she was." He then addressed the whole village. "As a warning to you all, do _not_ upset or anger Aralyne in any way or the potion will consume her and she'll belong to the dark side." Everyone nodded and agreed to his terms. "Take her back to the Benbow Inn," he ordered Tulio before walking off.

Melody came through the crowd to his side. "Come on," she said waving him to follow, "I'm her roommate." She led him to the inn with Jim, Ariel, Dimitri, Sinbad, Ella, and Sarah following. They took her to her room and deposited her on her bed. Before he left, however, Tulio gently brushed some of the curls out of her face, that warm feeling returning. He then left the inn and went the entire night pondering about that feeling he got when he was near Aralyne.

* * *

I woke up feeling numb as I recalled what had happened yesterday with Tzekel-Kan, and Eric. Eric…. My eyes filled up with tears, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out loud. I should have been more cautious! I was such a stupid, stupid idiot! This is why I had trust issues in the first place. I've been hurt before by people I thought were friends, but this… this was absolute _hell!_ The others just took advantage of me, but Eric, he tried sending me to my doom! How could I trust anyone after this? Pushing aside my emotions as best as I could, I got up and changed into a clean dress provided by Aurora, then I went downstairs to the kitchens for work.

Upon arriving in the kitchens, Rapunzel, Tiana, Remy, Colette, and Linguini gave me a cautious look and finally Rapunzel ventured to speak. "How are you feeling, Aralyne?" she asked. I shrugged and stood beside the empty sink staring down at the drain.

"Aralyne," said Remy moving before me and sitting at the bottom of the sink so that we made eye contact, "If you're not feeling up to working today, you may leave." I stared down at him and didn't answer.

"Come on, sweetie," said Tiana taking me by the shoulders and steering me towards the door, "Go out and try to get your mind off… things. We'll be fine here, okay?" I nodded and left the kitchens. Now unsure of what to do, or where to go, I left the Benbow Inn to wander the town. Many of the citizens smiled and waved at me, even calling me out by name, but I hardly acknowledged their existence. I honestly felt bad about that, but I wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone. As I continued on, I felt like a zombie trudging through town. I eventually heard a crowd shouting, and despite my melancholy mood, I was curious and followed the sound. I found a crowd surrounding something and pushed my way to the front to see Flynn and Tulio playing dice against some man.

"Seven!" Tulio shouted out gleefully throwing a pair of red dice.

"All right!" cried Flynn holding a guitar.

"Yes!" Tulio shouted when the dice landed on seven.

"Partner! Hee-hee!" they cried out simultaneously high-fiving each other.

Tulio picked up the dice again, and Flynn played the guitar singing, "_Tons of gold for you!"_

"Hey!"

"_Tons of gold for me,"_ sang Tulio.

"Hey!"

"_Tons of gold for we,"_ they sang together dancing around a bit.

"Hey!" the man shouted regaining their attention. "One more roll!"

Flynn shrugged and strummed the guitar as Tulio said, "Uh, guys, you're _broke!_ You got nothin' to bet with!"

"Oh, yeah?" said the man pulling out a piece of parchment from the inside of his vest. He unrolled it and held it out for Flynn and Tulio to see, "I got this!"

"A map!" Flynn said gaping at it wide-eyed.

"A map?" said Tulio cocking up an eyebrow.

"A map!" Flynn exclaimed again.

"A map to the greatest treasure in all the world," the man explained with a sneer.

Tulio rolled his eyes, but Flynn moved forward to get a better look. "Wow! Let's have a look." He studied the map for a second before snatching it out of the man's hands and pulling Tulio to look. "Uh, Tulio!"

"Excuse us, for one moment, please," said Tulio in annoyance looking over the map with Flynn.

"Tulio, look!" Flynn said gesturing to the piece of parchment, "The Cave of Wonders! This could be our destiny, our fate."

I saw Tulio roll his eyes again, and I distinctly heard him whisper, "Flynn, if I believed in fate, I wouldn't be playing with _loaded_ dice." He held the red dice out to his partner. My eyes narrowed at his dishonesty. Gambling was one thing, but _cheating?_ I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed in disapproval. I had half a mind to rat them out, but I honestly wanted to see how this all ended. Flynn then did his smolder and I honestly wondered how many people fell for that. "Not with the face. No, no, no, no, no. No! No! No!" Flynn was now doing a puppy dog face.

"I said one more roll!" the man shouted snatching the map back from Flynn and Tulio. "My map against your cash."

Tulio and Flynn exchanged grins before Tulio said, "All right, peewee. You're on!" He began to shake his red dice, but the man stopped him.

"Not with those! This time we use _my_ dice," he produced a pair of white dice and held them out to Tulio. "Ehh, got a problem with that?"

"No," Tulio replied putting his red dice away. He then grabbed the white dice and whispered to Flynn, "I'm going to _kill_ you." Flynn gave him a sheepish smile. The man dropped the map on the pile of gold on the ground as Flynn started strumming the guitar and Tulio rolled the dice in his hands. "Come on, baby. Papa needs that crappy map." The music seemed to have irritated Tulio because he then snapped at Flynn, "Stop that!" Flynn gave another sheepish grin and stopped strumming. "Show me seven!" Tulio growled out throwing the dice. Before they could roll to a stop, Tulio covered his face. When the dice stopped rolling, the crowd exclaimed and cheered, and even I let out a surprised gasp. Tulio peeked out from behind his hands and exclaimed, "Seven!"

"All right!" Flynn cried out snatching the map off the pile of gold. The man sank down to his knees in defeat.

Tulio was still gasping out, "Seven!" He laughed before scooping up the gold on the ground. "There it is! Well, nice doing business with you." His pair of red dice fell out of his vest pocket and landed before the man showing seven. The man slammed his fist against the ground three times making the dice jump, and each time, they landed on seven.

"I knew it!" the man shouted and Tulio nervously picked up the dice stuffing them back in his pocket as Flynn strummed the guitar again. "Your dice are loaded!" I gave them a satisfied smirk. _Busted!_

Tulio grabbed the guitar to keep Flynn from playing anymore and tossed it into someone's arms. "What? You gave me _loaded_ dice?" he cried rounding on Flynn. Not paying attention, he slammed into a guard in silver armor. "He gave me _loaded_ dice! Guard, arrest him!"

"You dare to impugn my honor?" Flynn cried out, then spoke to the guard, _"He_ was the one who was cheating! Arrest _him!_ He tricked these sailors and took their money!"

"Oh, now, _I'm_ the thief?"

"Yes."

"Take a look in the mirror, pal!" said Tulio shoving Flynn's face into the guard's armor to see his reflection.

Flynn retaliated, "Oh, you better give them that money back, or I'll –" He took the guard's sword and pointed it at Tulio. "En garde!"

"En garde, yourself," said Tulio backing up, "I will give you the honor of a quick and painless death." He pulled out a man's dagger, and he stared at it in disappointment. "But not with that," he said returning the dagger and pulling out the man's sword, "I prefer to fight fairly. Aha!" Flynn and Tulio leaned forward and crossed their swords together. "Well, any last words?" Tulio inquired.

"I will cut you to ribbons," Flynn sneered. The duo pulled apart and fought each other. "Fool!"

"Such mediocrity. Let your sword do the talking," said Tulio.

"I will. It will be loquacious to a fault," said Flynn slashing his sword. He lunged forward, but Tulio dodged.

"Ha! Take that!"

They fought some more. Flynn jumped onto a table and Tulio sliced at him. "You… mincing, fencing, twit."

"Ah, you fight like my sister," Flynn mocked jumping from table to table and climbing backwards up a stack of crates to the roof of the building behind me.

"I _fought_ your sister. That's a compliment," Tulio sneered climbing up after him.

"Braggart!"

"Heathen!"

Tulio's foot slipped, and he fell landing on his back on the roof. I gasped at how close he was to the edge. One wrong move and he would tumble to the ground.

"Kill him!" a man shouted out as they continued fighting.

"Not the face. Not the face," Tulio muttered blocking Flynn's slashes. Flynn finally knocked the sword out of Tulio's hand sending it up into the air. He then caught the weapon and pointed his own sword at Tulio's throat. The whole crowd gasped and began muttering amongst themselves. _Idiots! Didn't they realize this was all an act?_ Flynn pulled the sword away from his friend and Tulio stood up. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've decided it's a draw."

"Thank you all for coming," shouted Flynn tossing the swords into the crowd. The weapons landed hilts up, the blades buried in the street not far from where I stood. "You've been great. See you soon."

"Adios!" Tulio shouted with a salute as they jumped off the building's roof well out of sight of anyone in the crowd. I quickly ran around the building and saw them sitting in the dirt laughing.

"Congratulations. You're very good," said Flynn.

"No. That was good," Tulio agreed.

"Very –"

"Ahem," I said stopping behind them, arms folded over my torso. They turned to me in surprise and I saw something flash in Tulio's eyes, but I couldn't tell what it was. "That was quite a fall," I said kneeling down beside them and looking each man in the eye, "Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah, we're fine," said Tulio.

"We're okay," agreed Flynn.

"Good," I said grinning at them, then smacked them both upside the head. "I'm going to kill you both! I can't believe you conned that man out of his money!"

"Hey, sister, we've got to make a living somehow," said Flynn. I shot him a glare, and my hand went out to hit him again, but he blocked it.

"You could at least do it _honestly!_" I protested, "I expect both of you to return the money! Am I understood?"

"Yes, mother," Flynn said rolling his eyes at me. I shot him another glare. "So, how are you today, Aralyne?"

My mouth opened slightly as I felt the glare vanish. I didn't even realize that they had made me forget my troubles until now. My lower lip trembled and I bit it to keep myself from screaming the pain I felt. Everything became blurry as tears welled up in my eyes and I felt them pour down my face. Jumping to my feet, I ran off, leaving them behind.

"Idiot," I heard Tulio yell at Flynn.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

_(Songs in this chapter are "Come Little Children" from the movie "Hocus Pocus", and "Constant as the Stars Above" from the movie "Barbie as Rapunzel".)_

"How pathetic," said Regina, Snow White's stepmother, as she watched Tzekel-Kan's attempt at capturing the girl in her magic mirror.

"Agreed," said Madam Mim standing before a different mirror and changing her form from a short pudgy woman to a tall slender, curvaceous beauty.

Sadira was lounging back on a sofa manipulating sand between her hands and said, "He should have had more magical back-up."

"Of course," said the White Witch using her staff to turn Sadira's sand into icicles. Sadira turned and glared at her before shooting out a tidal wave of sand at her. The White Witch smirked and turned it into snow before blasting it around the room.

"Watch it," growled Narissa turning into a dragon and melting the snow with a breath of fire.

"Enough, ladies," said Eris materializing before them. The goddess of chaos then continued, "And Sadira, here, is right. He should have had more magical back-up. He was just one sorcerer against three humans, and a halfa. Now if all six of us worked together – five witches and a goddess – well, we could capture that darling little girl for the Evil One."

The other five women exchanged evil sneers, seeing the logic in her words. Narissa turned back into a human and said, "We're in."

"Excellent," said Eris forming a bubble in her hands and inside the bubble was an image of children, "And I know a way to lure in the wanted child."

* * *

I watched a figure skulk through the night shadows of Nesidy, but I couldn't tell who it was. All I could see was that the figure wore a baggy shirt, pants, and black jacket. The figure also wore a bandana on their head and another covering the lower half of their face. The person's eyes glowed a slight scarlet and it made me shudder. Still sticking to the shadows, the person moved around a building's corner to see a couple having a romantic moonlit stroll. I saw something gleam in the person's creepy eyes as they pulled out a knife. I wanted to scream out to the couple to watch out, but no voice came out from between my lips. The person ran out from the shadows and stabbed the man in the back.

As the man fell over, he shouted out, "Ella! Run!" The woman began screaming and tried making a break for it, but the person grabbed her from behind, and slammed her into a wall. The woman fell over unconscious. "Ella!" the man cried out before the mysterious person continuously stabbed him in the back. I wanted to run out and help the victim, but I couldn't move either. It was like I was stuck where I was, being forced to watch this horrible event. My heart was pounding in my head and I felt absolutely sick to my stomach.

I suddenly heard Morgana's voice speak mockingly into my ear, "You _will_ join the Evil One's side whether you want to or not." And I saw Eric leering at me with Tzekel-Kan off to the side holding the bowl of potion. I was reliving that whole event, the betrayal, the heartbreak.

"_You will destroy anyone who gets in your way…."_

I sat up with a gasp, breathing heavily. Looking around, I saw I was in my room at the inn, and Melody was fast asleep in her own bed. It was all just a nightmare! I flopped back down and stared up at the ceiling trying not to cry. I wished I had never met Eric. I wished I had never been brought to this world!

Then I heard some eerie, enchanting singing:

"_Come little children_

_I'll take thee away_

_Into a land of enchantment_

_Come little children_

_The time's come to play_

_Here in my garden of_

_Shadows"_

With a slight frown, I stood up and tiptoed over to the window. Looking outside, I saw Regina, Madam Mim, Sadira, the White Witch, Narissa, and Eris hovering up above the town singing.

"What?" I muttered, then saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I peered down into the streets to see well over a hundred children walking toward the villains.

"_Follow sweet children_

_I'll show thee the way_

_Through all the pain and the sorrows_

_Weep not poor children_

_For life is this way_

_Murdering beauty and passions"_

I couldn't stand here and watch this! Turning on my heel, I ran out of the room, through the inn, and out into the streets. "Stop!" I said halting before Eilonwy and Irenie to keep them from moving another step, but they went around me in some sort of hypnotic state. I looked around to see every child in town was acting this way.

"_Hush now dear children_

_It must be this way_

_To weary of life and deceptions_

_Rest now my children_

_For soon we'll away_

_Into the calm and the quiet"_

With so many children out and about and heading straight for the witches and goddess, I didn't have time to call out for help or find someone, so I followed them, keeping my head low so that the villains wouldn't see me inside the crowd.

"_Come little children_

_I'll take thee away_

_Into a land of enchantment_

_Come little children_

_The time's come to play_

_Here in my garden of_

_Shadows"_

By the time the villains had finished singing, we had ended up inside some underground chamber hidden in the woods. I ducked low behind T.J. Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Vince LaSalle, Gus Griswald, Gretchen Grundler, and Mikey Blumberg, so that the villains wouldn't see me.

"Where is she?" demanded Sadira looking through the crowd of hypnotized children. I silently prayed that she wouldn't notice me.

"I thought you said this would work," Narissa growled to Eris, "We lured every child here, _except_ that brat, Aralyne!"

"Just how old is she, anyways? Like twelve?" asked Madam Mim reverting back to the short round form, "This should have worked! This was meant to lure everyone under thirteen!"

"She only _looks_ twelve," Regina snapped, "For all we know she could be twenty!"

I silently fumed. They seriously thought that I was a _child?! _And they were using a spell for _children_ to capture me?! My hand twitched and I seriously wished I had a sword, or even a knife! Wait, where did that come from? I shook my head and continued to listen to their conversation.

"Well, what do we do with all of these brats?" the White Witch asked waving in our direction.

Eris waved her hand and a glass wall formed around me and the kids. "There, that should hold them until we decide what to do with them."

As the witches began to leave through the underground tunnel, I heard Regina say, "A _glass _prison? I doubt that will hold them."

"Oh no," said Eris, "The glass is infused with magic so that it won't break or vanish. They won't be able to escape _at all_ unless one of us removes the glass."

Once they were gone I stood up and looked around at everyone. I was now locked up in a room with over a hundred children who were under a spell, and no one knew we were here, and there was no way out. This was bad. Really bad! And that's when the kids began waking up from their hypnotic state.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked a twelve-year-old King Arthur.

"What's the big idea?" demanded Lampwick.

"Where are we?" asked Alice, "This looks nothing like Wonderland."

"I want my mom!" Zephyr cried out.

"I want my dad!" added Morgan (from _Enchanted_).

Boo, wearing her monster costume began to cry, and a lot of the younger ones followed her example. I cringed at the wailing and wanted to cry myself. I've babysat before in the past, but the most I've watched over was five kids! This was just ridiculous! And me, being the adult here, had to watch over this lot!

"Criminy!" shouted out Helga Pataki placing her hands over her ears. "Someone get those brats to shut up!"

"Helga, they're only babies, and they're scared," said Arnold kneeling down to pet the four kittens, Oliver, Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse.

That gave me an idea! "Hey!" I shouted waving an arm over my head, "Everyone!" They all turned to me, except for the toddlers that were crying. "Listen, I know this looks bad –"

"Bad?" said Gerald folding his arms over his chest, "This is a lot worse than bad, Aralyne."

"Shh! Let her speak," said Phoebe.

"Thank you," I said with a nod and continued, "Okay, look, I'm the only one that knows what's going on. Sadira, Regina, the White Witch, Eris, Madam Mim, and Narissa had used a spell on you children to lure me into their clutches, and now we're somewhere underground."

"_You children?_" Wendy Darling spoke up glaring at me, "I thought you said you were twelve years old? Or did you lie to Peter?"

I shook my head. "Not now, Wendy."

"You _did_ lie didn't you? You lied to Peter Pan!"

I could feel my face burning and I had to use all of my self-control to not march straight up to her and slap her. "Fine!" I shouted out, "I lied! I'm nineteen! Happy?!"

She smirked at me. "I'll definitely be telling Peter about this!" she crowed.

Shutting my eyes I mentally counted to ten to calm myself down. At that time, I heard Mowgli hiss, "Wendy, shut it! You heard Grandpa! Don't upset her or make her angry!"

"Okay," I said through gritted teeth, "I'm one adult, but I can't do all of this alone. I'm going to need help from everyone that's at least ten and older to watch over some of the younger kids. Am I understood?" I looked around to see the older children nodding. "Good. I promise to get you all out of here and return you to your families as soon as possible."

"Why don't we just break out now?" asked Jimmy Neutron, as he, Lewis Robinson, and Wade Load studied the glass prison.

"That's right," said Phineas Flynn knocking on the glass, "What do you think, Ferb?"

Ferb replied, "It's only glass after all."

Cindy Vortex turned to Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup and said, "Hit it girls! Shatter this prison!"

"We're on it," said Blossom as she and her sisters flew into the air and soared straight to the glass. They tried smashing through it, but the glass didn't give. They even began punching it, and didn't leave so much as a scratch.

"Don't," I said trying to stop them, but they didn't listen. They eventually tired themselves out.

Jim and Tim Possible then said at the same time, "Haley, you try it now." A little Chinese girl transformed into a pink dragon and blew fire at the wall until the flames died out.

"Stop," I tried again, but still no one listened! I was becoming irritated and wanted to strangle the lot of them. _Calm down, girl, calm down! They're only children! _But if they weren't going to listen, I decided to just stand back and watch with my arms folded over my torso.

Rini then stepped forward and transformed into Sailor Mini Moon. Holding out her wand, she shouted, "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" A ton of hearts shot out of her wand and struck the glass wall, but as before nothing happened.

"We're gonna be stuck here forever!" Carl wailed. The younger kids began to scream again and I cringed at their shrill voices.

"You're scaring them," Coraline Jones scolded picking up four mice: Olivia Flaversham, and Fievel, Tanya, and Yasha Mousekewitz.

"We have to stop and think," said Sheen looking around at everyone, "What would Ultralord do?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Okay, Sheen," said Libby placing a hand on his shoulder, "Ultralord isn't here, so we're kind of on our own."

"I can just turn us intangible," said Dani pushing her way through to the wall. She turned into her Phantom form and tried walking through the wall but slammed right into it. "What?!" she cried pressing her hand against the glass. "I can't get through."

"Wait," said Timmy Turner with a baby purple fairy floating beside him, "We've still got Poof. Okay, Poof, I wish the glass wall was gone!"

"Poof! Poof!" said Poof waving his rattle, but the glass remained where it was with not a single scratch, dent, crack, or even burnt mark.

"Are you through?" I inquired the children, and they all turned their attention back to me. "What I was trying to tell you before you started your attacks, is that the glass is enchanted so that we're stuck here until the witches or Eris removes it."

Angelica Pickles started crying causing the others to cry again. "I'm scared! I want my mommy!"

"I want my mommy, too!" screamed Susie Carmichael.

I stared down at the babies at my feet and sat down amongst the weeping toddlers. I held Dil Pickles in my arms and watched as Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, Susie, and Kimi curl up beside me, all in tears. "Hey," I said quietly wiping the tears from Dil's eyes, "Why don't I sing you a lullaby? Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes, please," said Anne-Marie taking a seat as well. All of the children had managed to get comfortable in some sort of form on the floor with the older kids comforting the younger ones.

"_Constant as the stars above_

_Always know that you are loved_

_And my love shining in you_

_Will help you make your dreams come true_

_Will help your dreams come true"_

Jane, John, Michael, and Wendy had clumped together in one corner next to Pinocchio and Jenny (from _Oliver and Company_).

"_The lamb lies down and rests its head_

_On its mother's downy bed_

_Dolphin plays in the moonlight's glow_

_And butterfly dreams of a violet rose_

_Dreams of a violet rose"_

Mowgli, Shanti, and Ranjan were with Lilo, Dash, and Jack-Jack. One by one I watched them all fall asleep: Harris, Hubert, Hamish, Dumbo, Fang, and Penny (from _The Rescuers_).

"_I'll cradle you in my arms tonight_

_As sun embraces the moonlight_

_The clouds will carry us off tonight_

_Our dreams will run deep like the sea_

_Our dreams will run deep like the sea"_

More of them began to pass out, drifting off into a deep sleep: Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, Wilbur Robinson, Fern (from _Charlotte's Web_), Andy, Cody, and Curdie.

"_Constant as the stars above_

_Always know that you are loved_

_And my love shining in you_

_Will help you make your dreams come true_

_Will help your dreams come true"_

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Eliza and Donnie Thornberry, David (from _All Dogs Go to Heaven 2_), Koda, Angel, Scamp, a chipped cup named Chip, and ninety-nine Dalmatian puppies were the last ones to go to sleep. Once all of the children were out, I looked at them all and gave a tired sigh, buried underneath a ton of babies. Thankfully I was leaning against a section of the dirt wall and tilted my head back so that I could fall asleep.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Marie was curled up asleep with her brothers and Oliver when her ears began to twitch. The kitten's head lifted off her paws and she turned towards the glass wall. She heard footsteps heading their way. Six pairs by the sound of it. She leapt to her feet and ran through the throng of children straight for Aralyne.

Koda felt the kitten run by and woke up with a yawn. "What's your rush, Marie?"

"The witches!" she cried waking up everyone else from their deep slumber, "They're coming!" The children got up right away ready to face the villains. Marie landed on top of Aralyne's chest making sure not to hit any of the babies. "Aralyne!" she said batting at the woman's face, "Aralyne, wake up!"

* * *

"What is it?" I groaned blinking down at Marie.

"The witches are coming!" she meowed at me.

"What?!" I cried.

"We have to hide Aralyne," said Shanti. Jane Darling took Dil from my arms and motioned for the other babies to get off of me.

"Stay down," hissed Eilonwy as she and the other older children stood before me blocking me from view. I peeked out from between their legs to see the witches and Eris standing on the other side of the glass staring at their prisoners.

"Oh look, the brats are awake," said Madam Mim, "Good, now you'll know exactly what we plan to do with you lot." The children glared at them defiantly.

"Such adorable children," said Eris leering down at my charges, "All with their lives ahead of them." She laughed maniacally. "Kill them."

* * *

Ella woke up the next morning out in the street, her head pounding. She sat up trying to remember how she got there, and when she turned, she saw Sinbad lying motionless in a pool of blood, a knife sticking out of his back. She screamed, her hands over her mouth and tears pouring from her eyes. Ella crawled over to him and pulled the knife from his body dropping it beside her.

"S-Sinbad?" He didn't reply and when she touched his body it was as cold as ice. "_Sinbad!_" she screeched.

At that moment, Mufasa and Sarabi came bounding around the corner. "What?" he said skidding to a halt and staring at Sinbad's dead body, "What happened?" Ella was too hysterical to speak. Mufasa had managed to lift Sinbad's body onto his back and Sarabi had convinced Ella to get on her back.

"As if we don't have enough to worry about," said Sarabi, as they ran towards the center of town, "All the children go missing, and now a death."

* * *

"Do you think Aralyne is feeling any better?" asked Linguini, "I mean she seemed pretty dead yesterday."

"Well, what do you expect?" asked Colette sharpening a pair of knives, "She had her heart broken by some _insensitive_, _backstabbing_, _traitorous_ man!" She pointed one of the knives at Linguini, and added, "If any man did that to me, I'd get _my_ revenge." The man gave her a nervous smile and backed up until he was well away from the dangerous weapons.

"I'll go check up on her," said Tiana wiping her hands on her apron before leaving the kitchen. She entered the dining room to see Sarah Hawkins serving people breakfast and sitting at a table eating were Melody, Ariel, and Jim. "Melody," she addressed the younger mermaid, "I was wondering if Aralyne was feeling well enough to work?"

Melody paused with a spoonful of cereal on its way to her mouth. "I thought she was already down in the kitchens. She was gone when I got out of bed this morning."

At that moment, they heard a commotion outside. Everyone in the inn exchanged confused glances before running outside. About half the town was in hysterics.

"I can't find Lilo," Nani shouted out to Grandpa who stood in the center of the crowd.

"And my kittens," said Duchess, "They've gone missing, too."

"Oh, no," said Melody as she and her friends listened to the statements of concerned parents that had missing children, "You don't think this has anything to do with Aralyne, too?"

"This is Aralyne we're talking about," said Jim, "She's always in some sort of trouble."

At that moment, Sarabi and Mufasa burst through the crowd with Ella and a dead body on their backs.

"Lao Shi," said Mufasa to Grandpa, "We found Ella beside a dead body. She's too hysterical to speak." Everyone got quiet, and Snow White ran up to Ella to coax her off the lioness's back.

Grandpa's face became grim as he asked, "Whose body?"

"Sinbad," Mufasa replied as several men came to relieve him of his burden.

Melody felt her heart sink as she looked over at Jim and Mrs. Hawkins. Disbelief was etched upon their faces even though they saw his corpse right before them. Sarah suddenly wailed and ran to her son's body falling on top of it. Jim sank to his knees and tears flowed freely from his eyes. "Jim," she said kneeling beside him and giving him a hug, "I'm so sorry." He buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed.

"Rescue Aid Society, and Rescue Rangers," called out Grandpa, and twelve mice, two chipmunks, a rat, and a green fly scurried through the crowd right up to him. He then said to the rodents and fly, "I need all of you to go out and find the missing children. Everyone else here will look for Sinbad's murderer."

"Yes, sir!" cried out Chip and Dale saluting Grandpa. Then the rescue team ran off to do their job.

"Hey, I think I found something," said Timothy Brisby as they were searching the town for clues. He was standing at the edge of the village and found a black ribbon lying on the ground. Basil of Baker Street ran to Tim and took the ribbon. Basil then examined every inch of it, muttering to himself.

"This ribbon," said Basil, "belonged to Alice. The children must have been through here."

"Those poor children," said Bianca shaking her head and holding onto Bernard's arm, "I hope we find them soon."

"Looky! Looky! Over here!" cried out Jaq jumping up and down as he pointed to something on the ground outside of the village.

"Feet prints!" said Gus crouching down beside Jaq.

"Golly," said Gadget studying the prints, "There's hundreds of them!"

"And they're headed straight for the woods," said Reepicheep. He pulled out his sword and pointed it towards the forest. "Onwards my friends!"

The animals followed the footprints deep into the woods.

* * *

All of the kids began talking at once and I felt my own heart stop for a moment. Eris removed the glass wall and several of the children started screaming.

"Why don't we have a little fun with them, first?" said Madam Mim grabbing Lampwick.

"What's the big idea, old bat?" he said squirming in her grip, "Let me go!"

Madam Mim laughed and turned him into a donkey. "My, aren't you a little ass?" She laughed again.

"Just get rid of him," said the White Witch, "and if you don't, I will." She pointed her staff at the children. They all screamed and huddled against each other.

"NO!" I shouted out crawling out between the older children's legs and jumping to my feet. "You've got me just like you wanted! Leave the kids alone!" The villains stared at me in surprise while the Recess gang tried pulling me back, but I shrugged off their hands.

"So the spell _did_ work then?" said Regina a wicked smile forming on her fair face, "We lured you right into our clutches."

Sadira conjured up some sand to wrap around me and drag me towards her and the other women. I didn't even bother struggling to escape but glared at each of them. "It didn't work as you planned," I snapped, "I'm _not_ a child! I _followed_ the children here to protect them! Now that you've got me, let them go!"

"No," said Narissa sneering at me, "Because when we turn you to our side, they will be the first ones you kill." I felt myself pale as the children once again began to scream and cry.

* * *

The Rescue Aid Society and Rescue Rangers followed the footprints into an underground tunnel and arrived in the chamber to see Madam Mim turn Lampwick into a donkey.

"Martin," said Monty keeping his voice low so that the villains wouldn't hear him, "Run back to Nesidy and tell Grandpa what we found. Zipper, you go, too."

The green fly and Martin Brisby dashed back through the tunnel as fast as they could. In a matter of minutes, Martin and Zipper had gotten to Nesidy and skidding to a stop before Grandpa, Martin panted, "We – We found the – the children!"

There was a collection of gasps, cries of delight, and muttering.

"Where?" inquired Grandpa, "Never mind. Danny, Tulio, Flynn, Phillip, Mr. Incredible, and Peter Pevensie, go with Martin and Zipper. They'll lead you to the children."

Danny transformed into his Phantom form and scooped up the mouse and fly. "Where to?"

"That way!" buzzed Zipper pointing in the right direction. Danny zoomed off with the other five males following him at a sprint.

* * *

Eris glided towards me pointing a finger at my chest over my heart. "Ready to join the dark side?" she inquired with a malicious smile. I stared straight into her cold dark eyes refusing to show how terrified I really was. Her finger was cold as she pressed it against my torso. Before she could do anything, however, she screamed and flung her arm away from me. I caught a quick glimpse of a female mouse wearing pink clinging to the goddess's wrist with her teeth before she went flying and landed amongst the ninety-nine puppies.

Sadira also screamed and losing concentration on her magic, the sand fell to the ground releasing me. I saw a couple of chipmunks scurrying all over her. Other rodents were attacking the remaining witches and I took advantage of this distraction.

Turning to the children I shouted, "RUN!" The older children picked up many of the toddlers and infants and booked it. The animals made it out, too. In all the confusion, I saw that Boo was left behind. She either couldn't keep up or no one was able to take her. To be honest, I couldn't blame the older children for losing track of a single toddler; there were nearly two hundred kids here! I scooped up the screaming girl, and started running down the tunnel behind Koda.

I heard Narissa yell out, "Aralyne's getting away!"

When we had gotten outside in the morning light, the children were running by a startled, Danny, Tulio, Flynn, Phillip, Mr. Incredible, and Peter Pevensie.

"Aralyne, wha–?" began Tulio as I headed towards the men, but I cut him off.

"Run!" Then I felt something strike me in the back, and I crumpled to the ground, careful not to crush Boo beneath me.

"Aralyne!" Danny and Tulio shouted out at the same time.

Making sure Boo was safe from harm, I turned on my backside to see the witches and Eris heading for me.

"You're not going anywhere, sweetie," snarled Sadira sending another swarm of sand my way. That's when the men rushed forward to attack the villains. With Sadira distracted once again, I leapt back to my feet and carried Boo into a hallow tree. Glancing around, I saw that the rest of the children had disappeared. I hoped they were okay. Turning my attention back to the battle I saw everyone was paired up: Danny against Eris, Tulio against Regina, Flynn against Madam Mim, Phillip against Sadira, Mr. Incredible against Narissa, and Peter Pevensie against the White Witch. I wanted to go and help, but I didn't know what to do, and I couldn't leave Boo alone, who was still crying, I realized and could attract unwanted attention.

"Hey, Boo," I said quietly, "Shh. Quiet down, okay? Can you do that for me?" She sniffled and her wailing subsided, but she was still crying. An idea struck me and I hoped it would work! "Boo, do you want to play a game?" She finally stopped crying and looked up at me. Wiping the last of her tears away with the sleeve of my nightgown, I continued, "Let's play hide-and-seek, okay? We have to hide and be super quiet so that the bad people don't find us." She nodded her head and pressed her face into my collar bone, being silent.

"Psst!" I heard someone say and I looked around but didn't see anyone. "Down here!" I lowered my gaze to see fifteen rodents and a green fly. I crouched down beside them and recognized the female mouse wearing pink.

"You saved me and the children," I whispered to them shifting Boo in my arms to keep her from slipping, "Thank you."

"It was Jenny's idea to distract the villains," said Dawson lightly punching the mouse in pink on the arm.

"The children," I said, "Where are they?"

"Don't worry, Miss Aralyne," said Justin, the rat, "I saw them entering the village."

"Everyone, look," said Bernard staring at the fight. We all turned our attention to the battle to see Madam Mim, Sadira, and the White Witch lying on the ground dead. Regina, Narissa, and Eris retreated, cursing the men.

The animals jumped into my nightgown's pocket and I straightened up, leaving my hiding place. With Boo still in my embrace, I ran awkwardly to the heroes. "You did it!" I cried out. I gave each of them a one-armed hug and we walked back to Nesidy promising to tell the whole tale later.

Upon arriving back at the village, I saw families reunited, and I released Boo so that she could find her parents. I ran straight up to Grandpa and told him and everyone in the town exactly what happed and they all thanked me for watching over their children. The animals in my pocket then jumped out onto the ground and gave them their tale before the men told them about their battles.

While this was going on, I said, "I'll be at the inn." Before I could leave, however, Danny held me back.

"Wait," he said holding my arm and a frown forming on his face, "There's something you should know. This morning, Sinbad was found dead. He –" Danny swallowed before continuing, "He was stabbed to death."

"What?" I said quietly feeling sick to my stomach. The nightmare I had before I had followed the children out of Nesidy flashed before my mind. _A figure skulked through the night shadows of Nesidy…. Still sticking to the shadows, the person moved around a building's corner to see a couple having a romantic moonlit stroll. I saw something gleam in the person's creepy eyes as they pulled out a knife….The person ran out from the shadows and stabbed the man in the back._ _As the man fell over, he shouted out, "Ella! Run!" The woman began screaming and tried making a break for it, but the person grabbed her from behind, and slammed her into a wall. The woman fell over unconscious. "Ella!" the man cried out before the mysterious person continuously stabbed him in the back._ Pulling out of Danny's grasp, I ran straight for the Benbow Inn. I burst into the building to find all of Sinbad's friends and family surrounding his corpse which was laid out on a table. "Oh!" I gasped placing a hand over my mouth as I began to cry. I ran over to Mrs. Hawkins and embraced the distraught mother. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

As she wept into my shoulder, all I could think was, _It was a dream! Wasn't it? _But another voice surfaced in my mind, _Was it really? You saw him die, and you didn't save him…._

_This was my fault! Entirely my fault!_

_(For the record, these last two chapters actually made me cry. Please don't hate me. Hope you enjoyed.)_


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

_(NOTE: Prince Thomas is the one from Cinderella, and Prince David is the one from Snow White. I got the names from "Once Upon a Time".)_

It's been several weeks since Sinbad's death. Everyone around Nesidy seemed to have moved on with their lives except Sinbad's close friends and his family. The Benbow Inn was as quiet as a church most of the time, and Mrs. Hawkins worked very hard to not break down in public. Melody also spent most of her time trying to keep Jim's spirits up so that he didn't do anything reckless from being depressed.

I was on my break from work and was heading upstairs for a little nap when I heard a knock at the inn's door. It wasn't exactly a private home, so it didn't make sense as to why someone would be knocking. I made my way over to the door and opened it to find a short man with white hair carrying a sack of letters on his back.

"An urgent message from his imperial majesty," said the man handing me an envelope.

"Thank you," I said roving my gaze over the envelope in curiosity as I shut the door.

"A letter?" asked Ariel when she saw me with the mail. Dimitri was working so she had stayed inside. "What's it say?"

"I don't know," I replied flipping the envelope around searching for some clue as to what may be inside, "He said it was urgent." I started searching for Mrs. Hawkins and found her in the dining room drinking a cup of coffee. My co-workers were spending their break there, too, and Jim and Melody were quietly talking in a corner of the room. Ariel followed me in there.

"Mrs. Hawkins," I said handing her the envelope, "This just came in. I was told it's important." Everyone eyed the letter curiously as Mrs. Hawkins opened it up and read it. Her blue eyes widened slightly. "There's to be a ball," she said aloud.

"A ball?!" repeated all of the other females excitedly.

"In honor of his highness, Prince Thomas," added Sarah.

"The prince?!" Rapunzel squeaked and I shot her a curious look.

"By royal command," Sarah continued reading, "every eligible maiden is to attend."

"Why, that's us!" said Ariel in astonishment.

"Not really," said Melody, "You've got Dimitri."

Ariel stuck her tongue out at her younger sister.

"I'm so eligible," Rapunzel muttered under her breath blushing.

"We can all go," said Tiana, "It'll be fun!"

"When is it?" Jim asked.

"Tonight," replied his mother. She then set down the letter and looked at everyone around her. "So is it agreed? Are we all going?"

"Yes," said Colette, "We all need a break and need to get our minds off… things."

Everyone agreed and ran off in different directions to go get ready for the ball, leaving me alone in the dining room. I made my way back upstairs and entered the room I shared with Mel. She was rummaging through her clothes trying to decide what to wear. I collapsed onto my bed and dozed off.

I haven't had the best sleep lately. Every night since my close encounter with Tzekel-Kan I dreamt the same thing over and over again: Eric's betrayal. I would always wake up in the middle of the night crying and occasionally screaming. The others in the inn had learned to ignore my shrieks since it happened so often. So now I took a nap whenever I could, hoping that for once, I wouldn't have the nightmare.

When I had finished my nap, I returned to work until the dinner rush was over. Then I helped the others get ready, hemming up dresses, doing their hair, straightening out wrinkles. It kept me busy to the point I didn't think about the recurring nightmare. Finally when everyone was ready, I peeked outside the window to see a carriage waiting outside. "Mrs. Hawkins," I said finding everyone doing last minute preparations, "the carriage is here."

"Aralyne," she said gazing at me in surprise, particularly at my plain dress, "You're not ready, child."

"I'm not going," I said giving her a small smile.

"Not going?" Melody asked in astonishment as Ariel pulled her black hair into a ponytail.

"No," I said shaking my head, "I'm not really in the mood for a ball. Goodnight." I strolled upstairs to my room dreading another restless sleep. I stood by the window and watched everyone enter the carriage and ride off into the night towards the ball. Once they were gone, I sighed and turned away from the window.

"Why, Aralyne, what's the matter?" a voice inquired from the window. Panicking, I swiveled around expecting to see a villain, but instead saw a cricket wearing a coat and carrying an umbrella standing on the sill. My defenses dropped automatically. "The name's Cricket," he said lifting his top hat at me in a type of salute, "Jiminy Cricket." I returned to the window to speak with him. "Why aren't you going to the ball?"

"I'm not really in the mood," I told him, "and I'm tired. I haven't gotten much sleep lately."

"I see," he said with a nod, "Does this have anything to do with Eric?"

I blinked at him in surprise. "How did you –?"

Jiminy continued on, "Right now, it's not lack of sleep that's making you not go, it's the memory of Eric isn't it? A ball is something romantic, is it not?" When I didn't answer right away, he added, "Ella is going to the ball. She doesn't have anyone to escort her, does she? And Mrs. Hawkins is going, and so is Jim. They lost someone important to them, too, you know. But they know that Sinbad wouldn't want them to just sit around and mope the rest of their lives because he died. They're out there right now, enjoying themselves."

"I get it," I said before he could carry on, "What you're saying is that I should get over my self-pity, go to the ball and enjoy myself, because life goes on and I shouldn't waste it by being depressed." He grinned up at me. "Fine, I'll go." I went up to my wardrobe and peered inside. To my dismay, the only clean outfit I had left was Ella's pink dress covered in bows. Ugh! I seriously needed to do laundry tomorrow! I pulled it out and changed into it, wishing I had something else to wear. After fashioning a bow in my hair and putting on some lovely green beads around my neck, I turned to Jiminy and asked, "What about you? Aren't you going to the ball, too?"

"Of course," he said beaming, "Mind if I hitch a ride with you?" Grinning, I lifted him up and placed him on my shoulder. We left my room, and eventually the Benbow Inn, and walked (yes, walked) towards the ball.

We hadn't gotten far when I passed by a dark alley and heard awful maniacal laughter. I froze and faced the alley ready to run or fight if necessary. Then out of the darkness stepped Lady Tramaine, her daughters Anastasia and Drizella, and Cruella De Vil.

"You were a lot easier to find than I thought," said Lady Tramaine with an evil sneer. Her daughters guffawed.

"Oh, my dear," said Cruella taking a puff of her smoke, and blowing it directly in my face, making me cough, "Don't you know how dangerous it is to walk out at night alone?"

"Careful now," warned Jiminy in my ear as I tensed up eyeing all four of the women.

Anastasia and Drizella each grabbed me by the arms and started dragging me into the alley. "Let me go!" I screamed, trying to break free, but Cruella and Lady Tramaine held me down too. Jiminy jumped down to my arm and smacked Cruella's fingers with his umbrella, causing her to pull away. At the same time, I kicked out and struck Lady Tramaine in the knee. She collapsed, also releasing me. Now with the sisters being the only ones holding me down, I had managed to break free from their grips and bolted away from them, Jiminy clinging to my dress so as not to fall. Drizella and Anastasia ran after me, and I felt someone grab the beads, planning to choke me, but it snapped, and I kept on going.

"Don't let her get away!" I heard Cruella shout out. The girls grabbed my dress, and it gave way beneath their fingers. I was now running around in rags.

"Help!" Jiminy and I shouted, hoping someone would hear us. Then ahead of us we saw Lady, Tramp, Pongo, and Perdita sprinting towards us growling. They all leapt over me heading for my pursuers. Skidding to a halt, I turned to see the canines tackle the villains and all of the women fell to the ground. The villains didn't even put up a fight, which made me guess they were afraid of the dogs.

"Are you okay?" Pongo asked with Cruella's dress between his teeth.

"Yes, thank you," I panted out a hand over my racing heart.

"Let us go, you mangy mutts!" Lady Tramaine ordered as Perdita held her down. The female Dalmatian growled at her, and the villain became quiet.

"Come on," said Tramp, his teeth latched onto Drizella's dress, "To the jail with these four."

"'Bye!" said Lady holding Anastasia as the dogs dragged the villains towards the jail.

"Well, that was an adventure," said Jiminy.

"Yeah," I said quietly looking down at my ruined dress, "But now I can't go to the ball. Not like this." I was beside a park and went to go sit at the bench beneath a tree near a fountain. "Now what am I going to do?"

A bunch of light formed beside me and turned into an elderly woman wearing a cloak. "Hello, my dear," she said with a warm smile. I jumped up in surprise and gaped at her. "You can't go to the ball looking like that."

"Whoa," said Jiminy quietly also staring at her.

"The ball?" I said looking down at my rags, "Oh, but I'm not –"

"Of course you are," she said cutting me off, "But we'll have to hurry, because even miracles take a little time."

"Miracles?" I repeated.

The woman nodded her head, and replied, "I'm the Fairy Godmother. Watch." She produced her magic wand out of thin air. She studied me and said, "Now let me see. I'd say the first thing you need is a carriage." The Fairy Godmother waved her wand and an ivory carriage appeared out of thin air with several white horses, a footman, and a coachman.

"It's beautiful," said Jiminy and I nodded in agreement. It was very elegant.

"Well, well, hop in my dear, we can't waste time," said the Fairy Godmother. I tried to protest and explain about my outfit, but she continued on, "Now, now, don't try to thank me."

"Oh, but I wasn't," I said, then Jiminy elbowed me in the collar, "I mean, I do, but, but don't you think my dress –?"

"Yes, it's lovely dear. Lovel," she finally got a good look at what I was wearing and gasped, "Good heavens, child, you can't go in that." She moved up to me and started measuring me with her wand. "Now, let's see, dear. Your size and shade of your eyes. Something simple, but daring, too." She gasped in delight. "Just leave it to me! What a gown this will be!" She waved her wand again and my rags transformed into a beautiful silver ball gown that was tight at the top and had a full skirt that fell to the ground.

My eyes widened in delight. "It's a beautiful dress," I said, "Did you ever see such a beautiful dress!" Lifting up the skirt I peeked down to see I was wearing glass slippers. I went to the fountain and gazed down at my reflection. My long hair was pulled up into a fancy bun with a few curls falling in my face but most of it was held back by a silver headband.

Jiminy Cricket whistled. "You sure look lovely, Aralyne," he said. I beamed at him.

"There's one thing," said the Fairy Godmother, "You have until midnight. At the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken, and everything will be as it was before."

"I understand. Thank you!" I replied.

The Fairy Godmother's eyes suddenly widened. "Goodness me! It's getting late!" She urged me to the carriage where the doorman was holding the door open for me. "Hurry up, dear, the ball can't wait!" I jumped into the carriage and the doorman shut the door behind me. "Have a good time! Dance! Be gay! Now off you go, you're on your way!" The driver set the carriage in motion, and Jiminy and I peered out the window to wave at the Fairy Godmother. She waved at us before disappearing in a flash of light.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

_(Songs in this chapter are "So Close" from the movie "Enchanted", "Bad Romance" from "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked", and "Save the Last Dance for Me" by Michael Buble.)_

The carriage rolled up to a lovely mansion and I gaped up at its splendid lights as Jiminy whistled. "Will you look at that," he said into my ear.

"Oh, boy," I muttered as the doorman opened up the door and I stepped out onto the ground, "Here we go." I strolled up the mansion's steps, lifting up the hem of my dress so as not to trip over it. We entered the mansion, and I saw every Nesidy resident inside dancing to the music and having a good time. Some of them even stopped to stare at me as I walked by.

"I'll see you later, Aralyne," said Jiminy hopping off my shoulder and disappearing into the crowd.

"You changed your mind," said Mrs. Hawkins when she saw me.

I smiled and replied, "Yes, ma'am." Then I wandered around the crowd to see couples everywhere: Melody and Jim, Ariel and Dimitri, Milo Thatch and Jane Porter, Snow White and Prince David, Aladdin and Aurora, Phillip and Esmeralda, Phoebus and Madellaine, Prince Thomas and Rapunzel, Tiana and Joshua Sweet. Feeling lonely I moved away from the dance floor and leaned against a wall to watch everyone.

* * *

Tulio and Flynn were at the concession table drinking punch. Flynn had flirted with just about every girl he had come in to contact with, but Tulio wasn't in the mood for partying. After a couple of girls had walked off, Flynn finally asked his friend, "Okay, what's up? You've been a little off since we saved Aralyne from Tzekel-Kan."

Tulio shrugged and replied, "I don't know. I can't eat, I can't sleep. All I do is think about her! And when I'm near her, I feel different. I always want to protect her and make her smile. I can't stand seeing her upset."

Flynn chuckled. "You've got it bad, my friend."

"What?" asked Tulio staring at his friend in confusion.

"You're in love," Flynn explained, "You should tell her before Grandpa finds a way to return her to her world."

"I'm not in love," Tulio protested with a frown, but there was a nagging doubt in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, really?" said Flynn with a smirk, "'Cause she's right over there." He nodded his head over to the side and Tulio automatically spun around to see Aralyne leaning against the wall looking a little upset, but incredibly beautiful. Flynn shoved him over in that direction. "Go ask her to dance, bonehead."

* * *

I saw Tulio heading my way and he stopped before me. "Hello," he said.

"Hi," I replied giving him a small smile.

He held his hand out to me. "Would you like to dance?" I stared down at his open palm in slight surprise then lifted up my gaze to meet his. My heart suddenly started racing as I stared into his piercing blue eyes.

"Y-Yes," I stammered forcing myself to look away from his blue gaze and taking his hand. He led me out onto the dance floor right as Prince Derek got on stage. Tulio wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me close so that our bodies were touching. I could feel heat creep up into my face as I placed my free hand on his shoulder. Derek then began to sing as Tulio and I danced:

"_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is gone_

_The music playing on_

_For only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive"_

My mind went blank as I stared up at him. I couldn't even tell if we were still dancing, or not.

"_A life goes by _

_Romantic dreams must die_

_So I bid mine goodbye_

_And never knew_

_So close was waiting_

_Waiting here with you_

_And now, forever, I know_

_All that I wanted to hold you_

_So close"_

Tulio gently spun me around so that my back was to him, and we waltzed like that for a moment until I spun out of his arms. We took up the same positions like when we started and continued on.

"_So close to reaching_

_That famous happy end_

_Almost believing_

_This was not pretend_

_Now you're beside me_

_And look how far we've come_

_So far_

_We are_

_So close..."_

When the music sped up we twirled all over the dance floor and I could feel a smile form on my lips. It felt like we were the only two people out on the dance floor!

_"Oh, how could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close t__o reaching_

_That famous happy end_

_Almost believing_

_This one's not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming_

_Though we know we are_

_So close _

_So close a__nd still_

_So far..."_

As soon as the song ended, we came to a halt and Tulio leaned forward, lips slightly parted. My heart raced at the thought of kissing him, until the last person I kissed flashed before my mind. _No! This can't happen! Not again! Besides, you can't fall in love! Not with anyone here!_ I quickly pulled out of his embrace, my smile fading.

"Thank you, Tulio," I said clasping my hands behind my back, "That was… fun." Turning on my heel, I ran off through the crowd leaving him behind.

Derek then left the stage and up came Alvin and the Chipmunks and Chipettes.

"Let's speed things up, shall we?" said Alvin.

"_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oooh_

_Oh, oh, oooh, oh, oh_

_Caught in a bad romance"_

As I made my way through the throng of fairy tale characters, I glanced back to see Tulio was on my trail.

"_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oooh_

_Oh, oh, oooh, oh, oh_

_Caught in a bad romance"_

Thinking we were just heading in the same direction, I changed course and went over towards the stage to watch the performance instead.

"_Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!_

_Roma-roma-ma!_

_Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!_

_Want your bad romance_

_Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!_

_Roma-roma-ma!_

_Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!_

_Want your bad romance_

_I want your ugly_

_I want your disease_

_I want your everything_

_As long as it's free_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love I want your love"_

I glanced over my shoulder to see Tulio heading straight for me again. I didn't want to discuss what had happened on the dance floor so I lifted up my skirt and pushed my way through the crowd away from him.

"_I want your drama_

_The touch of your hand_

_I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love I want your love_

_You know that I want you_

_And you know that I need you_

_I want your bad, your bad romance_

_I want your love and_

_I want your revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance_

_(Oh-oh-oh-oooh!)_

_I want your love and_

_All your lovers' revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance"_

I had stopped to talk with Belle about some books she thought I might like, but when I glanced over her shoulder, I saw Tulio staring directly at me as he headed our way. After telling Belle I'd go to the library later I quickly excused myself and ran off.

"_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!_

_Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!_

_Caught in a bad romance_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!_

_Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!_

_Caught in a bad romance_

_Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!_

_Roma-roma-ma!_

_Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!_

_Want your bad romance_

_I want your horror_

_I want your design_

_'Cause you're a criminal_

_As long as your mine_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love I want your love"_

I danced a little bit with Jim and Melody before I saw Tulio pushing his way through the crowd in our direction. Without saying anything, I left my friends behind, determined to put more distance between him and me.

"_I like your crazy_

_I like all your tricks_

_Want you here by my side_

_Through thin and the thick_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love I want your love_

_You know that I want you_

_And you know that I need you_

_I want your bad, your bad romance_

_I want your love and_

_I want your revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance_

_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!)_

_I want your love and_

_All your lovers' revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance"_

How persistent was he going to be? I finally ducked behind Milo and Jane, hoping Tulio would give up if he couldn't find me.

"_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!_

_Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!_

_Caught in a bad romance_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!_

_Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!_

_Caught in a bad romance_

_Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!_

_Roma-roma-ma!_

_Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!_

_Want your bad romance_

_Walk walk fashion baby_

_Work it_

_Make them munks go crazy_

_Walk walk fashion baby_

_Work it_

_Make them munks go crazy"_

Hercules saw me hiding and asked me to dance. After looking around to see Tulio was nowhere in sight, I agreed and took the demi-god's hand.

"_I want your love_

_And I want your revenge_

_I want your love_

_I dont wanna be friends_

_J'veux ton amour_

_Et je veux ta revenge_

_J'veux ton amour_

_I don't wanna be friends_

_No, I don't wanna be friends_

_No, I don't wanna be friends_

_Want your bad romance_

_Want your bad romance!_

We hadn't danced for very long when Tulio was once again heading my way. I quickly apologized to Hercules and dashed off.

"_I want your love and_

_I want your revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance_

_Want your bad romance!_

_I want your love and_

_All your lovers' revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance_

_Want your bad romance! _

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!_

_Oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh_

_Caught in a bad romance_

_Want your bad romance_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!_

_Oh, oh, ooh, oh, oh_

_Caught in a bad romance _

_Want your bad romance"_

As soon as the Chipmunks and Chipettes had finished and were clearing the stage, Miguel jumped up and said, "Tulio, come on up and sing us a song." A spotlight shone on my pursuer and he froze blinking in the light. Our gazes locked for a moment, as I finally came to a halt. The crowd started chanting his name and the pressure became too much. Tulio jumped on stage and took the mike from Miguel. I breathed a sigh of relief, a hand over my chest. At least he wouldn't be chasing me around now.

Then at that moment, Flynn Rider came up to me with a grin. "Hey, Aralyne, would you like to dance?" he asked holding out his hand.

"Sure," I replied with a small smile. _I just hope you don't follow me around like Tulio did!_

Flynn took me out onto the dance floor and I could see Tulio watching us as he began to sing:

"_You can dance every dance with the guy_

_Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight_

_You can smile every smile for the man_

_Who held your hand beneath the pale moon light_

_But don't forget who's taking you home_

_And in whose arms you're gonna be_

_So darling save the last dance for me"_

"So, I saw you dancing with Tulio," said Flynn with a smirk, which I happily ignored, "What happened? He didn't treat you right?"

"He was fine," I replied. _Much more than fine!_ "I enjoyed dancing with him, it's just…."

"What?"

"Nothing," I replied shaking my head.

"_Oh I know that the music's fine_

_Like sparkling wine, go and have your fun_

_Laugh and sing, but while we're apart_

_Don't give your heart to anyone_

_And don't forget who's taking you home_

_And in whose arms you're gonna be_

_So darling save the last dance for me"_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tulio jump off the stage and head towards us. He wouldn't start anything here, would he? Tulio pulled me out of Flynn's arms and danced with me again.

"_Baby don't you know I love you so_

_Can't you feel it when we touch_

_I will never, never let you go_

_I love you oh so much"_

I stared up at him in surprise, then Flynn took me back into his arms and I resumed dancing with him again, but I continued to watch Tulio. He just stared us.

"_You can dance, go and carry on_

_Till the night is gone_

_And it's time to go_

_If he asks if you're all alone_

_Can he walk you home, you must tell him no_

_'Cause don't forget who's taking you home_

_And in whose arms you're gonna be_

_Save the last dance for me"_

Apparently Flynn was watching me and asked, "Would you rather dance with Tulio?"

I faced my partner and said a little harsher than I meant to, "No!" He raised an eyebrow at me."I mean, I'm dancing with you right now."

"_Oh I know that the music's fine_

_Like sparkling wine, go and have your fun_

_Laugh and sing, but while we're apart_

_Don't give your heart to anyone"_

Tulio seemed to have given up because he left us and returned to the stage, but I could feel his gaze upon me.

"_And don't forget who's taking you home_

_And in whose arms you're gonna be_

_So darling, save the last dance for me"_

I glanced back over my shoulder at him, our gazes locking once more. This couldn't be real!

"_So don't forget who's taking you home_

_Or in whose arms you're gonna be_

_So darling, save the last dance for me"_

I pulled away from Flynn before the song ended. "Thank you," I said with a smile. I then walked off the dance floor past Danny and Kayley (who were staring at me wide-eyed) and headed outside into the garden in the back. Tulio concluded the song:

"_Oh, baby, won't you save the last dance for me_

_Oh baby won't you promise that you'll save,_

_The last dance for me_

_Save the last dance, the very last dance for me."_

Everyone cheered for him, but I didn't bother reentering the mansion. I headed over to a bench and sat down with my back facing the mansion. Before me was a small pond and statues of the Greek muses. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two people scurry in the shadows, but when I turned my head to see who it was, they ducked behind a bush.

"Aralyne." I closed my eyes and sighed at the voice. _Tulio!_

Opening my eyes, I turned towards him. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," he said taking a seat beside me, "I shouldn't have tried to kiss you. I had just finished speaking to Jiminy Cricket and he explained how you were feeling. You're still not over Eric, are you?"

I winced at the name and replied in a strained voice, "It's not him, it's the betrayal. I don't –" I took a deep breath and continued on, "I don't think I'll be able to really trust anyone that close to me anymore." The two people behind the bush had lifted up their heads and I could clearly see who they were. I groaned inwardly. Not now!

"I see," he said quietly, and I suddenly felt like crying. I pushed back the sadness as he continued, "In any case, here." He plucked a white rose off a bush and handed it to me, along with a kiss on the cheek. I froze staring at the flower as he got up to leave.

After a moment, I shouted out, "Wait!" but when I turned back around, he was already gone. "Way to go, Aralyne," I muttered to myself then heard leaves rustling, and my attention returned to the bush where I saw two heads duck down again. With an exasperated sigh, I said, "Danny, Kayley, why are you spying on me?"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

_(Songs in this chapter are "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from the movie "Hercules", and "The Winner Takes it All" by Meryl Streep – prefer that one over ABBA.)_

Kayley and Danny slowly stood up from behind the bush with sheepish grins plastered upon their faces. "How did you know it was us?" Danny inquired.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. _Seriously?_ "I saw you," I replied, "You know, Danny, you could have made the two of you invisible so that I _wouldn't_ have seen you."

"Damn!" he muttered smacking himself on the head, "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Why were you spying on me?" I repeated.

"We saw you dancing with Tulio," Kayley confessed eyeing the white rose I held. I blushed and quickly hid it behind my back. She continued, "And we just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," I replied, "Just please leave me alone. I…. I need some time to think."

Kayley nodded her head in understanding before taking Danny's hand and leading him back inside the mansion.

Once they were gone, I tuned out the sound of the muses giggling and pulled the rose out from behind my back. I smiled down at it, but my grin faded when Eric's face flashed before my eyes. With a sigh, I muttered to myself, "Oh, what's the matter with me? You'd think a girl would learn." I stood up from the bench and started wandering around the garden.

"_If there's a prize for rotten judgment_

_I guess I've already won that"_

I stopped before a tiny statue of cupid and flipped it around so that the arrow wasn't pointed at me.

"_No man is worth the aggravation_

_That's ancient history _

_Been there, done that"_

I tossed aside the white rose and one of the muses behind me caught it. They, too, began to sing.

"_Who do ya think you're kidding_

_He's the earth and heaven to ya_

_Try to keep it hidden _

_Honey, we can see right through ya_

_(Oh, no)_

_Girl, you can't conceal it_

_We know how you feel and who you're thinkin' of"_

The muse holding the rose waved it in my face, and I walked away, hoping they would leave me alone.

"_Oh, no chance, no way _

_I won't say it, no, no"_

The muses began to follow me, to my dismay, much like what Tulio did inside the mansion.

"_You swoon, you sigh _

_Why deny it, uh-oh"_

Rolling my eyes at them, I continued wandering through the garden.

"_It's too cliche _

_I won't say I'm in love_

_(Shoo-doo, shoo-doo Oo-oo-oo)_

_I thought my heart had learned its lesson_

_It feels so good when you start out_

_(Ah)_

_My head is screaming, get a grip, girl_

_Unless you're dyin' to cry your heart out, oh"_

Why couldn't they leave me alone? I wasn't in love with Tulio!

"_You keep on denyin' who you are _

_And how you're feelin'_

_Baby, we're not buyin' _

_Hon, we saw you hit the ceilin'_

_(Oh no)_

_Face it like a grownup _

_When you gonna own up that you_

_Got_

_Got_

_Got it bad"_

I hopped across the pond, hoping to put some distance between me and the muse statues, but they continued their pursuit.

"_Oh, no chance, no way _

_I won't say it, no, no"_

I glanced back at the mansion where everyone was still inside and smiled as I remembered the dance I shared with Tulio.

"_Give up, but give in _

_Check the grin, you're in love"_

My grin faded at their words, and I turned away from the mansion.

"_This scene won't play _

_I won't say I'm in love _

_(You're doin'flips, read our lips _

_You're in love_

_Shoo-doo, shoo-doo)_

_You're way off base_

_I won't say it_

_(She won't say love)_

_Get off my case _

_I won't say it"_

Finally realizing they weren't going to leave me alone, I sat back down the bench, and the muses placed the rose beside me.

"_Girl, don't be proud _

_It's okay, you're in love"_

I picked up the rose and smiled at it before lying down on my back.

"_Oh_

_At least out loud_

_I won't say I'm in_

_Love"_

The muses scampered off and I heard their voices fade out.

"_Shoo-doo, shoo-doo, shoo-doo_

_Shoo-doo_

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la_

_Ha"_

The garden was quiet again as I was finally left to myself. So maybe I was in love? I certainly wasn't going to admit that out loud to anyone here. Besides, if I did admit it out loud, it would be a reason for me to stay in Incantationen. I didn't belong here, I had to go home and I didn't want Tulio following me to my world. He would feel just as out of place as I did here.

At that moment, I heard the clock strike twelve. "Crap!" I said shooting off the bench. I ran through the garden and around the mansion to the front. Trying to force my way through the crowd would have taken too much time. I jumped into my carriage and the driver went as fast as he could towards the Benbow Inn.

* * *

Megara had been staring at Tulio from afar during the ball. She couldn't get over the fact that he had broken her heart. She had seriously though that out of all the girls, she would be different, but apparently not. Meg was nothing more than another conquest to him. She watched with a pang of jealousy as Tulio danced with Aralyne, and then chased her around the mansion before singing directly to her. Meg remembered when he had once done that to her. When Tulio had followed Aralyne outside, Meg went along, too, but stayed well hidden. Even more so than Danny and Kayley. No one suspected that she was there, not even the muses. After Tulio had gone back inside, she wanted to follow him, but something about Aralyne intrigued her, so she remained outside. Why would Tulio go after her? Aralyne was, after all, an outsider. She didn't belong here.

When the clock struck twelve, and Aralyne ran off, Meg was now left alone in the garden. It didn't last for very long, though. A black fog appeared out of nowhere and surrounded her before transforming into Hades.

"Meg," he said and she turned to him in disgust, "Meg, my little flower, my little bird, my little nut. Meg. We've got orders from the boss. We need to get hold of that girl, Aralyne. So, I want you to find out what her weakness is."

"Why?" asked Meg folding her arms over her chest. As much as she wanted Aralyne out of the picture, she didn't want to hurt Tulio in the process. And she saw how much Tulio cared for Aralyne.

Hades replied, "See, she's gotta have a weakness... because everybody's got a weakness. I mean, for what? Pandora, it was the box thing. For the Trojans, hey. They bet on the wrong horse, okay? We simply need to find out Aralyne's." He suddenly gave a sly grin. "Hey, it may even be a man."

Meg shook her head. "Hey, I've sworn off manhandling," she replied.

"Well, you know, that's good because that's what got you... into this jam in the first place, isn't it?" he said conjuring up a smoke image of Tulio and Meg, "You sold your soul to me to save your boyfriend's life. And how does this creep thank you?" There was another smoke image, this one of Susan Pevensie. The smoke Tulio then ran off with the smoke Susan, leaving the smoke Meg alone and crying. "By running off with some babe. He hurt you real bad, didn't he, Meg? Huh?"

Meg waved off the smoke and blinked back tears, "Look, I learned my lesson, okay?"

Hades' grin widened as he said, "Which is exactly why I got a feelin' you're gonna leap at my new offer. You give me the key to bringing down Aralyne and I give you the thing that you crave most in the entire cosmos." The Lord of the Dead whispered into her ear, "Your freedom."

Meg's eyes widened with a gasp.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" asked Flynn when Tulio returned to the ball alone. Tulio scowled and smacked him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for?!" he cried rubbing the spot where his friend hit him.

"What were you doing with Aralyne on the dance floor?" Tulio demanded.

Flynn's eyes widened in realization and he said, "I'm your _friend_, Tulio. I'd never go after a girl you love!" He then smirked and added, "And, uh, F.Y.I., while I was dancing with her, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off you. Tulio, she _likes_ you."

With a sigh, Tulio replied, "She said she's not able to really trust anyone close to her anymore. Close as in the relationship she had with Eric."

"That was Eric," said Flynn, "Eric was a creep. You're not Eric."

"I know," said Tulio, "But I don't think I should try anything if she feels that way."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Prove to her that you're different! Show her you won't hurt her like Eric did!" He shoved Tulio back towards the doors leading out into the garden.

"All right! All right! Fine!" Tulio grumbled walking back out the door.

* * *

"Do we have a deal?" Hades inquired. Meg bit her lip before nodding.

"Done," she said, "I'll help you get Aralyne."

Hades laughed. "Great! I'll be checking up on you, Meg!" He then vanished into thin air.

When he had gone, Meg heard a familiar voice call out, "Aralyne?" She peered around the rose bush she was standing behind to see Tulio walking through the garden. "Aralyne!" How she wanted to talk to him!

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of hiding and said, "Hey."

Tulio swiveled around and blinked at her. "Meg," he said after a moment shifting uncomfortably, "I was looking for Aralyne. Have you seen her?"

"She just left," Meg said strolling up to him, "Must have gone home."

"Oh," he said, his voice thick with disappointment, then he said, "So, uh, how've you been?"

Meg gave him a small sad smile and began to sing:

"_I don't want to talk_

_About things we've_

_gone through_

_Though it's hurting me_

_Now it's history_

_I've played all my cards_

_And that's what you've done too_

_Nothing more to say_

_No more ace to play"_

Meg remembered when she first met Tulio; he had saved her from a centaur and they spent a lot of time together after that.

"_The winner takes it all_

_The loser standing small_

_Beside the victory_

_That's her destiny"_

The first time Meg and Tulio danced was at a bonfire on the beach and afterwards they fell asleep together in the sand.

"_I was in your arms_

_Thinking I belonged there_

_I figured it made sense_

_Building me a fence_

_Building me a home_

_Thinking I'd be strong there_

_But I was a fool_

_Playing by the rules"_

Tulio had gotten hurt while fighting the hydra and nearly died. Meg then sold her soul to Hades so that Tulio may live.

_"The gods may throw the dice_

_Their minds as cold as ice_

_And someone way down here_

_Loses someone dear_

_The winner takes it all_

_The loser has to fall_

_It's simple and it's plain_

_Why should I complain?"_

Not long after Tulio's life was saved, he had met Susan Pevensie, and he broke off the relationship with Meg. She was heartbroken after that.

_"Tell me does she kiss_

_Like I used to kiss you?_

_Does it feel the same_

_When she calls your name?_

_Somewhere deep inside_

_You must know I miss you_

_But what can I say_

_Rules must be obeyed"_

Tulio's relationship with Susan ended about a week before he had saved Aralyne from Tzekel-Kan, and it wasn't until after saving her, did Meg start to notice how different he acted.

"_The judges will decide_

_The likes of me abide_

_Spectators of the show_

_Always staying low_

_The game is on again_

_A lover or a friend_

_A big thing or a small_

_The winner takes it all"_

Meg reached out and gently brushed her fingers over Tulio's cheek, her eyes swimming in tears.

"_I don't wanna talk_

_'cause it makes me feel sad_

_And I understand_

_You've come to shake my hand_

_I apologize_

_If it makes you feel bad_

_Seeing me so tense_

_No self-confidence_

_but you see_

_The winner takes it all_

_The winner takes it all"_

She pulled back thinking of Aralyne dancing with Tulio. They both looked happy, and she felt her heart break all over again.

"_The game is on again_

_A lover or a friend_

_A big thing or a small_

_The winner takes it all"_

It wasn't fair! Tulio broke her heart, and Susan's, and the others, all for some girl that wasn't even part of Incantationen! A girl that looked like a child! A girl that didn't even want to be with him!

"_The winner takes it all"_

"Meg," said Tulio, "I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. But, the truth is, I never loved you, or the others. I love Aralyne." After saying that aloud, he blinked, realization crossing his face. "I love Aralyne!" Without saying another word to Meg, he ran off into the mansion. Meg stood there alone, before collapsing to her knees and weeping.

_(Yay! Another chapter finished! Was going to post it up yesterday, but my laptop crashed before I could save what I had typed. Anyways… I started school Thursday, and I'll be busy with homework, so it may take a while for me to post any more chapters. But, I promise I'll get to it as soon as I can! Hope you enjoyed! Please review!)_


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

_(Brief song lyrics in this chapter are from the song "Belle" from the movie "Beauty & the Beast".)_

Of course I didn't make it to the Benbow Inn in time. The carriage, coachman, and footman vanished and I sat in the middle of the street like an idiot wearing the tattered pink dress I wore before the Fairy Godmother arrived. With a sigh, I stood up, and began walking towards the inn. About half way there, my head started spinning, and I fell over onto my hands and knees. Everything kept swimming in and out of focus and I blacked out for a moment. When I had blinked and regained my vision, I saw the same figure that had killed Sinbad skulk through the shadows again, except this time they were wearing a different outfit: torn rags. The person drifted over towards Thomas's mansion and was just in time to see Dimitri and Ariel step out of the building and into one of the many gardens. The mysterious figure followed them, and lifted up a statue head of a dragon.

My mouth opened to scream to my friends to watch out, but no sound came out. I wanted to run and prevent what was to happen next, but just like last time, I was frozen in place. The person lifted up the statue and slammed it down on Ariel's head. She fell to the ground unconscious and before Dimitri could react, the statue came down upon his head, too. He collapsed to the ground as well, and I watched in horror as the murderer laughed and scooped up their blood and sipped it.

I blinked again to find myself back on the street. I was shaking and tears were silently streaming down my face. _Someone help! Please help them! Have to tell someone!_

"Aralyne?" a voice said. My head shot up and I stared up at Ron Stoppable in an ugly blue suit and Rufus was on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" he inquired kneeling beside me and placing a hand on my back.

"Ron, Rufus," I gasped between sobs, "Have to –" I choked back another sob. "Have to go back to the – the mansion! Dimitri and Ariel! They're hurt! We have to get back now!"

"What?" he said as I struggled to my feet. I didn't want to repeat myself so I stumbled over towards the mansion and he followed me. After what felt like hours, we returned to the mansion, and I made a beeline straight for the garden I had seen in my vision. Upon arriving, I screamed at the sight that lay before me. Ariel's and Dimitri's heads were smashed in to the point their brains were dripping out onto the ground. I was vaguely aware of Ron yelling something as I bent over and vomited. Rufus jumped off Ron's shoulder and ran inside the mansion. A couple of minutes later, everyone came pouring out demanding to know what had happened. I felt a pair of hands grab me and pull me into an embrace, and I gratefully buried my face in their torso as I sobbed. People's screams were echoing in my ears and I had trouble keeping track of who was speaking.

Finally all noise had subsided and I heard Grandpa ask in a cold tone, "Did anyone see what had happened?"

"Um, Grandpa," said Ron, "Aralyne may know what had happened. I found her on the street in hysterics. She said she had to get to the mansion because… because Ariel and Dimitri were hurt."

"Aralyne?" said Grandpa. I pulled away from the person holding me and was mildly surprised to see it was Tulio. I turned to Grandpa. "Do you know what had occurred here?" I nodded and stammered an explanation about my vision.

"I don't know how or why I saw it," I concluded shooting a glance at the bodies. Melody was screaming out her sister's name and trying to get to Ariel, but Jim was holding her back. I felt my heart break. Another one of my friends was hurt and I was unable to prevent it.

Grandpa then addressed the whole crowd, "Everyone, return to your homes immediately. No one will be allowed out after sunset until this murderer is found." Everyone scrambled to leave the scene of the crime and Mrs. Hawkins took me in her arms and led me towards the front of the mansion with Jim and Melody. We got in a carriage and the driver took us back to the Benbow Inn.

* * *

Charlotte La Bouff quickly raced home. Since she lived close to Thomas's mansion she had walked to the ball instead of taking a ride. After seeing what had happened to Sinbad, Dimitri, and Ariel, she wanted to get home right away before anything happened to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow move and screamed until Gaston stepped forward into the light.

"Oh, Gaston," said Lottie placing a hand over her hammering heart, "You gave me such a fright, sugar."

Gaston gave her one of his extravagant smiles and replied, "Sorry, Lottie. I was looking for Aralyne. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"I believe she was on her way to the Benbow Inn," Lottie replied then she batted her eyelashes at him and said, "Say, I could really use a big, strong, handsome guy like you to protect me."

He flashed her another smile. "Of course, Lottie," he said taking her arm. He cringed as she began gossiping and began to regret making himself known to her. But his eyes raked her from head to toe taking in every curve of her body. Going after Aralyne could wait another day or two. He wanted to have some fun. Tightening his hold on her arm, he pulled her into the dark shadows and clamped a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

* * *

Captain Phoebus and his soldiers had just finished cleaning up the murder at Thomas's mansion when they heard a scream pierce the night. He quickly pulled out his sword and ran in the direction he heard the scream come from. He was in time to see Lottie stumble out of the shadows, her pink dress was torn and filthy and her hair was a mess. She was crying, causing mascara to run down her face making her look like a clown.

"Charlotte," he said when she went right up to him and collapsed into his arms, "What happened?"

"Gaston," she gasped, "He…. He…." She broke down into hysterical sobs. Taking in the state she was in, he figured out what had happened.

He swore under his breath before saying out loud, "Don't worry, Lottie, he won't hurt you again. I promise you that." Phoebus then escorted her to her mansion. After making sure she was safe inside and had locked the door, he turned to his soldiers. "Men," he said, "Looks like we'll be working overtime. We have a murderer and a rapist running about. I don't know if they are one and the same; it may be possible. But keep an eye out for Gaston, and make sure that the women are inside and safe." His soldiers nodded and broke off to go find the villains that had caused such chaos that night.

* * *

Melody hadn't slept in our room. Instead she went into Ariel's room and wept the rest of the night. No one could do anything to console her. It was much like when Sinbad died and she tried her best to comfort Jim. I kept to myself when I went down to the kitchens to work and didn't speak to anyone. Well, no one really spoke anyways. They were all upset about Ariel's and Dimitri's deaths, and I suspect they blamed me for it. Everyone had heard about my vision, and I could have sworn I heard Thomas O'Malley the alley cat say as I walked passed him that it was suspicious that _I_ knew about the murders when no one else did. Does he think _I_ committed the murders? I couldn't have! It was just a vision! And the next time I have one, I'll make sure to prevent whatever will happen.

During my break, I started doing laundry and while I set some of my outfits to dry outside, I saw Phoebus heading straight for the Benbow Inn. "Hello, Phoebus," I said hanging a dress up on the clothesline.

"Aralyne," he said, his eyes shifting around the area, "Would you please enter the inn? It's not safe for you to be outside alone. There's something I need to discuss with you and the other women of the establishment."

I gave him a confused look. "Um, okay," I said heading inside with him following behind me.

He called everyone into the dining room including Melody who needed to be coaxed downstairs. "As you well know," he said, "We have a murderer out on the loose, so everyone must be inside before sundown. Especially the women." All of us females exchanged confused glances.

"Why us specifically?" asked Tiana sitting in a chair beside me.

Phoebus sighed and continued, "We have a rapist on our hands as well. Whatever you do, stay away from Gaston, and stay away from dark alleys." He looked directly at me when he said the last six words. It's not like I got kidnapped on purpose! We all agreed to the Captain's terms and he left.

Now since I wasn't allowed outside alone anymore, Linguini had to accompany me while I finished my laundry.

* * *

Winnie Foster sat outside in her yard near the locked gate. She was bored and wanted to go about town, but since Captain Phoebus had come over to warn about Gaston, she was "trapped" by her mother. Even going to the library would be better than this! She shot a glance over at her two-story house and didn't see any sign of her mother. Standing up, Winnie unlocked the gate, and ran out of the yard. She bolted down the street before she was caught, and eventually slowed to a walk to go visit Jane Porter.

* * *

Gaston hadn't seen any sign of Aralyne all day and was becoming impatient. Maybe letting Lottie go was a bad idea. He was sure that she went and blabbed to someone what he had done to her. If that was the case, then Aralyne would be under some strict protection. As he skulked around in the shadows of Nesidy, he saw Winnie Foster walk by. A wicked grin spread across his face as he stared at the young woman. He followed her for about a mile, and when she got near enough to an alley, he grabbed her….

* * *

Phoebus was just about to go home when he heard a female scream. He pulled out his sword and ran down the street, following the voice into a dark alley. He was in time to see Gaston on top of Winnie who was splayed out on the ground.

"Step away from her," Phoebus snarled pointing the tip of his sword at the villain. Gaston pulled away and flashed one of his smiles.

"Ah, Captain," he said moving away from Winnie. He suddenly turned and bolted down the alley. Phoebus was going to go after him, but Winnie needed to be looked after. Letting Gaston go, he helped Winnie to her feet, and she quickly covered herself with her torn dress. Her face was stained with tears.

"Come on," he said taking hold of her arm and leading her back out of the alley. When they were out in plain sight, he demanded, "What are you doing out here alone?! I instructed for the women to stay inside!"

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, "I just wanted to get out of the house!" With an aggravated sigh, he led her back home.

* * *

Meg wanted to get her job over with. The sooner she handed Aralyne to Hades, the sooner she would get her freedom, right? She strolled straight for the Benbow Inn intending to introduce herself to Aralyne and be her personal "body guard" on Phoebus's orders. Then she'd kidnap the girl and call Hades to pick her up. She was only a couple of blocks away from the inn when she heard someone panting off to her right. Coming to a halt, she looked in between two buildings to see Gaston looking out of breath and leaning against one of the buildings.

"Hey, there, muscle man. You okay?" she asked strolling up to him. Gaston turned his attention to her and his gaze lingered upon her torso. An evil sneer crawled over his face.

"I'll be just fine," he replied grabbing her arm once she was in reach.

* * *

I had just finished hanging up the last of my outfits on the clothes line when I heard a scream pierce the air. Linguini and I exchanged alarmed glances and I ran in the direction I heard the cry originate.

"Aralyne, come back!" Linguini shouted out, but I ignored him. I was determined to prevent another murder from happening, even if it killed me…. Okay, wrong choice of words, but you get what I mean. I rounded a corner to see Gaston holding onto Megara and she was struggling to break free. Phoebus's warning rang through my head, _stay away from Gaston._ Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to stand by and allow someone to get hurt.

"Not so fast, sweetheart," growled Gaston pulling her closer to his body.

Trying to pull away from him, Meg replied, "I swear, Gaston. Let me go or I'll..."

"Whoo! I like 'em fiery!" he snarled in her face. _Gag! _What a pig!

"Let her go, Gaston," I said in a cold tone. Both of them turned to me in surprise, then an evil smile crept across Gaston's handsome face. _Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy? Monsieur Gaston, oh he's so cute! Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing! He's such a tall dark strong and handsome brute! _Okay, _so_ not the time for those stupid lyrics to be running through my head!

"Aralyne," he said his grip tightening on Meg's arm. She winced in pain. "So nice of you to join us."

"Let her go," I repeated, sounding braver than I really felt. This guy was huge in the muscle area and I'm pretty sure he could hurt both of us fairly quickly. Then again, from what I remember from _Beauty & the Beast_, Gaston could easily be outsmarted.

"You care about this little whore?" asked the villain, his sneer widening. He slapped Meg across the face, threw her on the ground and started kicking her in the side. She began to scream in pain.

"STOP!" I cried out in alarm running towards them.

Gaston brought his attack to a halt and said, "Come with me, Aralyne, and I'll leave her alone. And if you refuse, I will kill her right here, right now."

I looked down at Meg who stared right back at me with frightened violet eyes. "Fine," I said and I saw something like surprise cross her face. I returned my attention to Gaston. "I'll go with you, just leave Meg alone."

_(Sorry for the wait, and I know this isn't my best chapter.)_


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty-Two

_(Songs in this chapter are "He's a Tramp" from the movie "Lady and the Tramp", and "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore.)_

Gaston stepped away from Meg and she slowly got to her feet as the villain grabbed my arm. I bit back a cry as he squeezed my limb to the point it went numb. As he dragged me away I glanced back at Meg who stared dumbfounded. _Run_, I mouthed to her but she didn't move. I shot a look back at Gaston and saw he wasn't paying much attention to me. Then my gaze drifted down to the knife he had attached to his belt. With my free hand, I quickly pulled the knife out and sliced the arm holding me. With a cry of pain, Gaston released me, and I ran back the way I had come, with the weapon still in my grip. As I went by Meg, I grabbed her arm and pulled her along behind me. Together we ran down the street and could hear Gaston hot on our trail.

We hadn't gotten far when two lions, one male and one female headed straight for us, leapt over our heads, and pounced on Gaston. Meg and I skidded to a halt and spun around to see the lions tearing Gaston limb from limb. We both gagged and turned our heads away from the gruesome scene. Linguini suddenly ran up to us.

"Aralyne, don't ever do that again!" he gasped stopping beside us.

"Linguini," I said in relief, "Are you the one that sent Kovu and Kiara?"

He nodded, and replied, "Thankfully they were nearby."

The lions strolled up to us, finished with their work and I nodded to them. "Thank you," I said and Meg just nodded her agreement, probably too much in shock to speak.

"Not at all," said Kiara with a smile.

"Just be careful next time," added Kovu before he and his companion left.

Once they were gone, I got a good look at Meg to see bruises forming where Gaston had touched her and scrapes on her arms from when she had been shoved to the ground. "Come on," I said motioning towards the inn, "Let's get you cleaned up." The three of us walked to the Benbow Inn and I led Meg upstairs to my room while Linguini went to tell the others what had happened.

As I cleaned up Meg's scrapes she was silent for a while then finally spoke up. "Why are you being so nice to me? And why would you sacrifice yourself for me?"

I glanced up at her and shrugged. "It's the right thing to do. Besides, I can't stand seeing people hurt even people I don't know."

"Thank you," she said and I gave her a small smile. She then sighed and said in a more serious tone, "Aralyne, beware of Tulio."

I froze and pulled away looking her straight in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"He's a player. He's been with many girls and said he loved them but shortly afterwards, he leaves them. So far there have been seven women. Madellaine – before she married Phoebus, of course - Giselle, Esmeralda, Nani, Odette, Me, and Susan Pevensie was the last one before he saved you from Tzekel-Kan." I stared at her, not knowing what to say. She continued, "I'm not saying this to hurt you, I swear. It's just a warning to protect you because you saved me." I shook my head as she began to sing:

"_He's a tramp_

_But they love him_

_Breaks a new heart_

_every day _

_He's a tramp_

_They adore him_

_And I only hope h__e'll stay_

_that way _

_He's a tramp_

_He's a scoundrel_

_He's a rounder_

_He's a cad _

_He's a tramp_

_But I love him _

_Yes, even I h__ave got it_

_pretty bad _

_You can never tell w__hen_

_he'll show up_

_He gives you p__lenty _

_of trouble _

_I guess he's just a_

_no-'count pup_

_But I wish that he _

_were double _

_He's a tramp_

_He's a rover_

_And there's nothing_

_more to say _

_If he's a tramp, h__e's a _

_good one_

_And I wish that I c__ould _

_travel his way_

_Wish that I could travel_

_his way_

_Wish that I could travel_

_his way"_

"Please, just be warned," she said heading to the door, "I don't want to see you get hurt like we did." She then left. Now alone, I thought about what she had said. Tulio with seven other girls before me? I didn't mind that part, but that he'd confess his love to them before moving on to a new girl? Would he treat me that way? The thought of him doing that to me made me want to cry. I had to know more about this! I had to talk to Meg!

I ran out of my room after her.

* * *

Vitani and Nuka watched from a distance as Meg was taken to the Benbow Inn by Aralyne and came back out a moment later without the girl.

"Meg," she hissed in anger, "Why didn't you grab her? What are you waiting for? Go back and get the girl!"

"She didn't do it," Nuka remarked, "She failed on such a simple task." Vitani hissed and they rushed back out of Nesidy to report to Hades. Once out of sight of the town, they called out the god's name.

"What's up?" said Hades appearing in a puff of black smoke. The two evil lions told him what they saw and a scowl crossed his face. "You're sure?"

"Affirmative," said Vitani with a nod, "We saw it with our own eyes."

Hades growled out, "Meg cannot betray us!"

* * *

Meg had only gone a few blocks when Hades suddenly arrived standing right in her path. "Hey, what's the buzz, huh, Meg? What is the weak link in Aralyne's chain?"

She glared at him and replied, "Get yourself another girl. I'm through." She tried walking around him, but he grabbed her arm.

Hades said, "I'm sorry. You mind runnin' that by me again? I must have had a chunk of brimstone wedged in my ear or something."

"Then read my lips! _Forget it_," she snarled yanking herself free from his grip.

"Meg, Meg, Meg, my sweet deluded little minion. Aren't we forgetting one teensy-weensy, but ever so crucial little, tiny detail? _I own you!_ If I say, 'Sing,' you say, 'Hey, name that tune.' If I say, 'I want Aralyne' you bring her to me. I'm sorry. You hear that sound? That's the sound of your freedom fluttering out the window forever," he said creating little butterflies out of black smoke and they fluttered around Meg's face.

She brushed them aside and replied, "I don't care. I'm not gonna help you hurt her."

Rolling his eyes in annoyance Hades said, "I can't believe you're getting so worked up about some girl."

"She's honest and, and she's sweet," Meg defended, "And I'm not going to hurt someone that saved me!"

* * *

Right as I exited the inn, I saw Meg not far off with Hades. Thinking she may be in danger again, I rushed forward going by a startled Tulio, Danny, Flynn, and Hercules.

"Aralyne, what –?" said Tulio as they stared at me.

Ignoring them, I kept going straight for Meg and Hades and I was vaguely aware of them following me. I had gotten to Meg's side in time to hear her last sentence.

Upon noticing me, Hades blinked in mild surprise and smiled showing pointed teeth. Pushing Meg aside, he held his hand out to me and said, "Name is Hades, lord of the dead. Hi. How ya doin'?"

I pulled away from him right as Meg pushed his hand aside. "Leave her alone, Hades."

By that time, the male heroes had reached us and Tulio grabbed me by the shoulders intending to pull me away from the danger but I shrugged his hands off me. I didn't want him touching me. Not until I heard the whole story. Hades' gaze shifted to Meg, his smile fading into a scowl. "You dare lay a hand on me nut Meg?" For the second time that day, Meg was slapped across the face and she fell to the ground.

"No!" Flynn shouted.

"Meg!" I cried out. I reached out to help her up, but Hades suddenly grabbed me around the waist. I'm pretty sure he would have vanished with me then and there, but Danny and Hercules both started pummeling him while Tulio grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the villain's grasp. Once I was free of Hades, I then slipped out of Tulio's grip and knelt beside Meg, who was being tended to by Flynn.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"A little sore," she replied with a groan. I glanced back to see Danny, Hercules, and now Tulio fighting Hades.

When the god had taken enough of a beating, he glared directly at me and said, "This isn't over, Aralyne. You will be ours soon enough." He then vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"Thanks, guys," I said standing up and giving Hercules and Danny a small smile.

"Aralyne, what were you thinking running out like that?" demanded Tulio grabbing me by the shoulders again.

I frowned and shoved him back. "Don't touch me!" He blinked at me in surprise.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired.

Shooting Meg a glance, I finally said what was on my mind, "Do you even care? From what I've heard, you say you care about a woman before moving on to a new one!"

"Oh boy," muttered Hercules.

"We'd better go," added Danny. Then he and the demi-god ran off.

Tulio gaped down at me and didn't say anything.

"So I can go ask the others if this is true?" I added, "I can go to Giselle, or Nani, or Susan, then?" When he didn't protest or try to deny my claims, I knew what Meg had said was correct. I felt tears spring up to my eyes and I didn't bother wiping them away.

"Aralyne," he said reaching out towards me, but I pulled away.

"Don't ever come near me again," I said in a cold tone. Turning on my heel, I ran down the street, letting the tears fall.

"Aralyne!" I heard Tulio call out, but I ignored him and continued on my way.

I soon left Nesidy and ended up in the woods. I didn't stop there, I just kept going until I tripped and fell to the ground. Pushing up into a sitting position and hugging myself, I sobbed. I couldn't trust anyone could I? Everyone I cared about was out to hurt me!

"Well, what have we here?" I heard a voice say. I lifted my head to see Rothbart standing over me. With a gasp of surprise, I scooted backwards on my behind and slammed into a tree. "You were a lot easier to find than I thought," he added with an evil sneer. Rothbart then transformed into a dragon-like creature and wrapped his claws around me….

* * *

"Don't just stand there, idiot," said Flynn helping Meg to her feet, "Go after her."

Without another word from his friend, Tulio shot down the street after Aralyne. She was still in sight until she disappeared in the woods. Finding her now was going to be difficult.

He suddenly heard her scream. "Aralyne!" he shouted out, running towards the source of her cry. He pushed through the shrubs in time to see Aralyne being carried off in the claws of the great animal as it flew.

* * *

"ARALYNE!" Tulio shouted, trying to follow us.

"TULIO!" I cried out, reaching for him, but I knew it was hopeless. As Rothbart flew up out of the trees, I saw Tulio skid to a halt and stare up at me.

He shouted out, "I swear I will find you!"

"Tulio!" I sobbed regretting the way I treated him just moments before.

In no time at all, I had returned to the place I've been dreading since I was kidnapped by Shere Khan. Rothbart burst into the Evil One's castle and transformed back into a human, holding me tightly around the waist. The Evil One was sitting upon his throne and he gave an evil chuckle that made me freeze in fear.

"Welcome back, Aralyne," he said, "We've missed you terribly. How was your time in Nesidy? Make any friends with the heroes?" He laughed again. "I was told that you're a wonderful singer. Sing. Maybe someone will hear you and come to your rescue." I pressed my lips together, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of controlling me. He growled and pointed a finger at me. "I said _sing!_" He struck me with a green lightning bolt and I cried out in pain. I opened my mouth and began to sing:

"_There's a song that's inside of my soul_

_It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again_

_I'm awake in the infinite cold_

_But You sing to me over and over and over again _

_So I lay my head back down_

_And I lift my hands_

_And pray to be only Yours_

_I pray to be only Yours_

_I know now you're my only hope"_

I thought of Tulio running after me and his promise to find me, but I feared it was too late. Fresh tears leaked out of my eyes as I continued.

"_Sing to me the song of the stars_

_Of Your galaxy dancing and laughing_

_And laughing again_

_When it feels like my dreams are so far_

_Sing to me of the plans that You have for me over again_

_So I lay my head back down_

_And I lift my hands and pray_

_To be only yours_

_I pray to be only yours_

_I know now you're my only hope"_

(Tulio had returned to Nesidy and told Flynn and Meg what had happened. Leaving Meg behind, Flynn and Tulio ran out into the woods, heading straight for the Evil One's castle. "Please be safe," Tulio muttered.)

"_I give You my destiny_

_I'm giving You all of me_

_I want Your symphony_

_Singing in all that I am_

_At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back_

_So I lay my head back down_

_And I lift my hands and pray_

_To be only yours_

_I pray to be only yours_

_I pray to be only yours_

_I know now you're my only hope_

_Mmm-mmm_

_Ooo-oo-ooh"_

As soon as I had finished the Evil One had stepped off his throne and strolled right up to me, his decrepit-looking hand glowing an eerie green. He thrust his hand inside my chest where my heart was, and I felt an unbearable amount of pain coursing through my body. I let out a long piercing scream right before blacking out….

* * *

Upon arriving at the Evil One's castle, Tulio and Flynn barged in, ready to fight for Aralyne. They searched every inch of the castle, but found it deserted. There was not a sign of her or of any other villain, for that matter. Tulio felt his heart break and he collapsed onto his knees.

"She's gone," he said quietly, "She's gone, and I couldn't save her."

"No," Flynn said grasping his friend's shoulder. "Tulio, we _will_ find her. I swear to you we will find Aralyne."

**End**

_(I know, I'm evil ending this on a cliff hanger, but to be honest, I didn't think the story would be this long! Hope y'all enjoyed! Keep an eye out for the sequel "Hidden Strength: Good vs. Evil".)_


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